As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow: The breathtaking story of love and loss in t...

6⭐ — Beyond a rating. As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow is beautiful, devastating, and unforgettable. Salama’s story of love, faith, and survival in war-torn Syria gripped my heart from the first page. It’s raw, real, and even more powerful in today’s world. You will feel everything — every tear, every flicker of hope. This book will stay with me forever. ————— This is a 6⭐ read for me — not even 5. Honestly, it’s beyond any rating. It’s beautiful in every possible way. Words cannot fully capture how incredible this story was or the emotional impact it had on me. The hype behind this book is so real — I now understand why everyone who reads it falls in love. When I first started, I had to pause and take a break — not because it wasn’t good, but because it was so powerful, raw, and heavy in the best way. Salama’s journey — the trauma, the loss, and the mental scars of what she’s endured in Syria — felt painfully real. Reading it now, while seeing what is happening in Palestine, made it even more poignant and urgent. The love and faith between Salama and Kenan was a beacon of light in the middle of so much darkness. The way Kenan helped Salama face the truth and see the reality of things was tender, heartbreaking, and inspiring. This book gripped me until the very last page. I was ready for heartbreak, but what I found was something even more powerful — beauty, resilience, and hope. You need to read this book. You will be transported into Salama’s world and feel every single emotion she feels.

Such a good read. Made you feel all the emotions. Didn’t expect the little twists. Very graphic. Was looking for something similar to a “a thousand splendid suns” and this didn’t disappoint

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow is a highly emotional and breathtaking story about love, loss, and trauma set during the civil war in Syria. It delves deep into fear and just how controlling fear can be in one's life, acting as a defence mechanism. But also how hope and love can set us free. While this may be a work of fiction, it's based on real-life events and the suffering of the Syrian people. War is devastating, and this book reflects and mirrors the lives of thousands in Syria. But if there's one takeaway, it's that they are so much more than their suffering and trauma. They are strong, resilient, awe-inspiring, and kind. Everything we should strive to be. Lemon Trees follows an 18 year old hijabi called Salama, who was a pharmacy student, but is forced into working at a hospital treating patients because of the war. And 19 year old boy called Kenan, who subverts all expectations and rejects toxic masculinity. Their shared story is one of pain, but also beauty. And Salama's pov is incredibly intense and haunting. There's one quote that really sums everything up, "We don't have to stop living because we might die." This book was just beautiful, I had to try and suppress my tears on the train at 8 am, going to uni 😭 There's one major plot twist (and a couple of other small ones) that broke my heart. I had to stop reading and take a break. My body went fr cold, and I wanted to scream at my wall. It was written so well, and I could not have seen it coming, not in a million years. Also, this is the first bit of fiction I've read where I've absolutely loved and wholeheartedly appreciated the muslim representation. Katouh ticked all the boxes, and I loved her for it. Hijabi representation, fully halal romance, the emphasis on prayer and reading the Quran during hardship. It was truly inspiring, and as a muslim, it reaffirmed my belief and made me want to be better. To sum it up, this book was haunting and visceral, but also heartwarming and fluffy. I couldn't recommend it enough. It's truly eye-opening and forever relevant, especially now more than ever.

Wonderful book. Very dark and yet very uplifting. Should be a must-read with anyone prejudiced against immigration and asylum seekers.

‘Every lemon will bring forth a child, and the lemons will never die out’ Nizar Qabbani I think I now know why I delayed reading this for so long, I wasn’t prepared for the heartbreak and sadness. Despite being aimed at younger readers, it provides so much insight into the hardship Syrians have had to endure for the longest time. It’s a work of fiction but based on true events, and the realisation of this makes it very difficult to digest. This is such an important book, a book which should be on every shelf and talked about on every syllabus. How you can read this and not shed a tear, I don’t know. I don’t want to ruin the story for anyone who has not read it yet but there was one chapter that completely broke my heart. I remember thinking, I’m going to read one more chapter before going to bed, but then I replayed that chapter over and over, all night. It played on my mind so much, that I then discussed it in detail with my husband, who had no knowledge of the book whatsoever at this point. He’s never understood why I pick up books that will make me sad, but I see it as gaining knowledge, about becoming aware of the extent of the hardships so we can make a difference. I love books that make me feel, whatever that feel may be, if it’s powerful, it’s a feeling like no other. I loved Salama and Layla, both characters warmed my heart and reminded me of the relationship I have with my sister. I know they were friends before sister in laws but it’s so rare to see this and it made my heart swell! Kenan and Salama, ahh these two! Young, sweet, simple love. I loved it! I won’t say too much more but just read it guys!

Brilliant book, heartbreaking and informative - a completely unexpected twist.

great book

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow ist ein Buch, das man nicht einfach liest, man fühlt es. Die Geschichte gibt einen erschütternd ehrlichen Einblick in den Krieg in Syrien und zeigt, was er mit jungen Menschen, ihren Träumen und ihrer Hoffnung macht. Die Hauptfigur Salama ist unglaublich stark und gleichzeitig zerbrechlich, was sie sehr real wirken lässt. Besonders berührend ist der innere Konflikt zwischen Überleben, Schuldgefühlen und dem Wunsch nach Freiheit. Der Schreibstil ist poetisch, emotional und bleibt lange im Kopf. Viele Szenen gehen unter die Haut und lassen einen auch nach dem Lesen nicht los. Ein wichtiges Buch, das Empathie schafft und zum Nachdenken anregt. Das Buch hat mich so bewegt, dass ich sogar eine Collage dazu erstellt habe, um meine Gefühle und Gedanken nach dem Lesen auszudrücken. Ein wichtiges, emotionales Buch, das man nicht vergisst.

Good read

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow is beautiful and devastating in equal measure. The novel offers a deeply moving insight into the war in Syria and its impact on young people — their dreams, their fears, and the impossible choices they are forced to make. It’s the kind of story that lingers long after the final page, quietly reminding you of the human cost of conflict and the fragile power of hope. 💔🍋✨

The quality of book is so good I like it so much thank you ! Im probably order again 🫶🏻🌷

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