I still don't know how to form words about this one , it took me a whole month to read it , and when i finally finished it , it felt like my heart's been shattered into tiny little pieces just to put it back together by the author and the characters, a story necessary about grief and lost was also one about hope and love . It's about finding ways during times where everything feels lost .
Even though this book is fiction, they story wasn't, there are hundreds of salama and Layla out there grieving for the lost ones and hoping for a good future for the ones to come.
I barely have words to describe the story and the plot or the writing because everything was mesmerizing, even though it's a debut novel , Katouh knows how to tell a story which is griping and equal amount liberating.
I would recommend this book a million times over to everyone ( as long as they are okay with the tws ) as this is the story everyone needs to hear , not just a tale but generations worth of struggle , grief and hurt told in a beautiful and raw way .

Despite the warning, I didn't expect to find this story so difficult to read. It is not necessarily a book I would have chosen in a bookshop, but I'm so glad that I accepted the invitation to review it.
It is very well written and clearly depicts life in Syria in a very real way. It brings home to you the difficulties faced in war torn countries by those innocent people who just want to live their own lives. Every character from Salama, the main character through to the minor characters are very sensitively portrayed. It is easy to picture them and to understand the trauma they are experiencing. I can understand why Yusef doesn't speak, why Salama is hallucinating and seeing those she has lost., why they are looking to escape Syria for a better life, but are torn at the loss of their homelands.

This is a book that should be read by all. It should be on school reading lists for older students to understand why many migrants are choosing to escape from their homelands.

Wow! I hardly ever read a book that moves me to tears but this one did! Thank you Netgalley! It is a book that should be on every school curriculum. The themes of the novel make it a sometimes uncomfortable read but at the same time, you are compelled to keep reading. The author’s intention is partly to raise awareness of the dreadful situation in war torn Syria and she certainly succeeds in doing this. The book deals with the main characters’ deep love for their country, their love for their mostly dead families and their love for each other. Their faith plays a big part too.

.I want to give no spoilers but the book is so evocative describing from the heart, a world so different from our own world, a world where there are lemons. The lemon is very symbolic in the book. The characters, even the minor ones are well depicted, some are based on actual people. Salama, is the main character. She is still a very young girl and works in a hospital as a doctor despite just having pharmacy qualifications. She deals with death every day.

Bit by bit, we learn that in her imagination, she sees people who are not in fact there. She has imagined Khawf to keep her mind on the fact that deep down she knows she has to leave Syria but she lives every day with fear, extreme hunger and loss. However, there is hope in the book as well as loss. If you read this story, you will really understand why people risk their lives on fishing boats taking them to the hope of a better life in a country where they are not always welcome, a country so different from their own beloved country.

I now know much more about Syria, its people, it’s politics and it’s history. An amazing story.

This is a remarkable, harrowing book. There were many times when I was afraid to turn the page for fear of what was to come, especially in relation to Salama's brother. Her fears about his fate, her wishing him killed rather than held captive and tortured, matched the horrors she was confronted with daily.

All the news coverage in the world cannot portray the Syrian situation as powerfully as this novel. Salama, just 18 years old, is working in a hospital in the most horrific circumstances. She should have a wonderful life ahead of her, but instead is working unqualified as a doctor and watching over children as they die, The effects on both her body and her mind are profound and her hallucinations as real as her physical life.

At the end there is hope, and this is the one aspect of the novel that I find difficult to go along with, knowing that the same situations as described here are being played out in many parts of the world as I write this review. Overall, though, marvelously written, deeply moving, a story which will stay with me.

Wow, I cannot even begin to describe my feelings about this book. Zoulfa Katouh has a gift for writing and taking the reader on a journey. The book is about Salama, her family and loved ones struggle in Homs during the Revolution. It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming. I loved it so much and feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to read this book - thank you.

A harrowing story of love. Beautifully written. Set in Syria, this is a fabulous book that gets under your skin. A little slow in places but I think that’s needed ... it’s not a ‘romping’ read, but a well baked wonderful tale. Thank you to #netgalley for the advance copy

Oh this beautiful, beautiful book. My heart is crushed and yet also slightly warmed from witnessing Salama and Kenan’s love story develop.
This novel is elegiac, a love poem to Syria and it’s people and at the same time a brutal pulling back of the curtain of distance we Western readers have kept closed so as not to witness the suffering and feel the shame of our own governments interference and our own indifference. In the UK we signed petitions to end the conflict in Syria, donated money to televised appeals and shared pictures of dust covered shell shocked children and toddlers washed up on Mediterranean shores but did we do anything that really helped? Did we offer our Syrian brothers and sisters the same help we now offer to people from Ukraine? We didn’t. Katouh has written a story that often transcends its environment and could be a boy meets girl story set anywhere in the world. Once you love her characters then you have to open your eyes to the city of Homs and the daily fear, trauma and loss that it went through. And if you understand that then you understand that refugees are just like us. They’d rather stay in their own country, they don’t want to be uprooted, paying criminals thousands of dollars to risk their lives in boats unsuitable for the journey.
This is a must read for everyone but especially for the young. We must stop this ‘othering’ of people from Arab nations and the far too common suspicion, distrust and disgust of refugees and the only way to do that is to start with our young people. As this book is so beautifully chaste it would be perfect for a GCSE set text.

Wow, it has been a true privilege to have an advanced reader copy of this beautiful book and I am very grateful to NetGalley, the publishers and the extremely talented author for this opportunity. It is hard to believe this is a debut novel as it is so beautifully crafted and very special. Several days after finishing the book I am still processing the harrowing material yet marvelling at the truly inspiring characters and the capacity for hope and the transformative power of love even in the most challenging of circumstances. I know this book will stay with me for a long time and I will be recommending it to others as a must-read.
Any book about the Syrian war and the impact on its people is not going to be for the faint-hearted and the author doesn't hide from detailing the true horrors facing the Syrian people during the revolution but it is such an important read and gives a voice to the people who have faced such severe adversity. I think this book will be discussed far and wide for many years to come.

The war in Syria is not a book I would usually read, but this was a love story and a story of survival all rolled into one. It is quite a harrowing story and I found a little slow at times but it is still a book I would highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the advance copy of this book.

A harrowing book about the fire situation the people of Syria find themselves in. A love story is at the centre of the story in the middle of the war torn country. It takes a while for the story to get going but when it does it is enchanting and absorbing. The descriptions of how the “courting” takes place in the culture is informative and thought provoking when it is compared with the way the western culture is now.
I would have liked more on the experience of the modern world, I thought it concluded quite quickly but it is a lovely book, filled with hope, love and inspiration.
Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read and experience this book,.

Exquisite. Masterful storytelling - gripping, heart-wrenching and atmospheric with a stunning lyrical quality. Deeply empathy-boosting, the reader will find themselves so completely transported in this beautiful book that life will never be the same again.

As someone who has read "The Kite Runner" I was prepared to have my heart-strings tugged at. It didn't reduce me into a sobbing mess but there were a few key moments which were quite special. I will never know (or hopefully never know) what it is like to be caught up in a war, have your home bombed, your place of work bombed and have to resort to the desperation getting on an overcrowded boat, not knowing if you will make it across the sea - this book shows you how this is, through the eyes of Salama.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A truly excellent read. This broke my heart into a million pieces, it was absolutely STUNNING. Be prepared for all the trigger warnings, but it is so SO worth it.
A beautiful piece of writing. It will stay with me forever.

Imagine living the life of being tagged in makeup or funny videos by your sister, and before you knew it, your country is at war.

Salama, a pharmacy student was healing; her mother’s death not long before, and dad and brother arrests during protests. While her area was protected by Free Syrian Army, it wasnt enough to keep her safe; hence she was pressed to leave, yet part of her wanted to stay.

As situation worsen, she entered a phase where talking to her alternate persona, Khawf, who slowly urges her to fulfill her promise to keep pregnant sis-in-law safe.

And then she met Kenan, the boy who lost the parents. He is adamant to stay, and Salama other half’s desire is burning. Can she stay but may suffer agonizing end of life, or should she flee and risk her soul being dead inside?

This book almost make me sob. Almost. (For context, I never cried of sadness reading a book), but this book made me choke listening to our national anthem 🥲. The Islam, muslim representation is so refreshing; meeting at mosque and praying, pleading to God (damn that almost wrecked my heart) Ms Zoulfa makes pain sounded poetic in the best way possible, and I would give my heart to be broken again a thousand times if she wanted to.

I clutched my hand to heart countless times, but particularly when Salama talked to Kenan (damn butterflies) and the despair when she can’t save the patient.

Ah damn. I gotta go…to cut some onions.

I love love loved this book. Not my typical genre at all - in fact I think it's the first story told about the Syrian war. Its a tough subject but this was a love story and a story of survival all rolled into one. The writing was beautiful and I would highly recommend this book.

Despite the tragic setting within which the story unfolds there is remarkable hope and resilience in every page. Above all Zoulfa Katouh weaves a beautifully told love story which deserves to be as widely read as possible. In a way it is the simple classic love story of how two young people desperately try to find a way against all odds. But more than that, and in spite of the catastrophic events unfolding all around them, what shines through "As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow" more than anything is the depth of love the central characters have for the land of Syria - its people, history, culture, the natural beauty of its land and even its cuisine. The language is rich and evocative, bringing the reader close up to the horrors unfolding on a daily basis, whilst also conveying the every day joy and beauty that exists in even the worst situations. Wonderful, highly recommended. Special thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) and NetGalley for a no obligation advance review copy.

A beautifully written story about life in war torn Syria. Eighteen year old Salama has started studying to be a pharmacist but when war comes to her part of Syria, she has no choice but to step up as a doctor and surgeon, treating the many victims of bombings and sniper attacks. Her dilemma is whether to stay in Syria, the land of her birth and the country she loves, or to flee in hope of a better life. There are dangers inherent in both options.

Knowing little about the situation in Syria, I found this enlightening. The descriptions of the country, culture and customs were very well written. The author includes what is happening now but also reflects on what life was like before the war tore the country apart.

The book is long, very long. There were times when it felt a bit of a slog keeping going as I desperately wanted the plot to move on. However, I suppose that reflected the agony of Salama’s wait to escape Syria. I enjoyed reading about her growing relationship with Kenan... but that plot twist!! I wasn’t expecting that!

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow’ is such harrowing read which highlights the events taking place in Syria. It’s possibly one of the best books I’ve read in a while and I’m currently still struggling to put my thoughts and feelings about this novel into words.

It’s a hard read though, one that doesn’t gloss over the horrors associated with war, please bear that in mind before reading it.

There were sadly, some issues with my download’ Random 1’s and 0’s were in some sentences and there were huge gaps in-between some of the three syllable words, which sadly, made reading this beautiful novel a bit of a chore at times.

I can’t wait for this to be available in stores as I need to get my hands on a copy without these flaws.

I don’t feel that I can thank NetGalley and Bloomsbury enough for the opportunity to have read this profound ARC.

I’ve heard ‘As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow’ being compared to ‘The Book Thief’ and ‘The Kite Runner’ and I completely agree.

All three stories share the same magical quality of being both heart wrenching and hopeful at the same time.

‘As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow’ is so interesting, it genuinely has so many parts to the story; it’s harrowing and unflinching, not shying away from the horrors that have and are still occurring in Syria; there’s a lot of medical references in here too which I feel really emphasises the reality of the subject-this is happening.

There’s also a bit of mystery and the most incredible twist that absolutely sucker punched me. I audibly gasped and genuinely had goosebumps.

I really feel like this book should be required reading, I know it will haunt me and I’m glad for it. I’m ashamed that I have been so ignorant and this book inspires action.

“𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕝𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕟 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕙 𝕒 𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕝𝕕, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕝𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕕𝕚𝕖 𝕠𝕦𝕥.”