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.

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 .

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.

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.