Published: 2022
Author: Zoulfa Katouh
Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Historical, War, Fantasy
Audience (Grade Levels): Grades 11-12
Number of Stars: 5 Stars
Goodreads Link: As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
Triggers: War, murder, bombings, PTSD, trauma-induced hallucinations, graphic medical injuries, family separation
Review By: Sara Tripp
Publisher’s Summary:
Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria. She still had her parents and her big brother; she still had her home. She had a normal teenager’s life.
Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth. So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe.
But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, Salama is torn between her loyalty to her country and her conviction to survive. Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free. And when she crosses paths with the boy she was supposed to meet one fateful day, she starts to doubt her resolve in leaving home at all.
Soon, Salama must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are—not a war, but a revolution—and decide how she, too, will cry for Syria’s freedom.
Review:
I found this story to be a difficult yet rewarding read. Knowing the tragedies of the Syrian war I knew that some of the story would challenge my emotions. I am in awe of the stories of young girls and the strength they have to not only endure the life they are expected to live in Syria but they rise to challenges that not even men are willing to face at times. It was interesting to see how Khawf was an imaginary person Salama knew was not real but went back and forth tormenting her and making sure she was safe. It makes your inner thoughts very real, very difficult to know when to heed warnings or ignore. Salama’s strength and willingness to help others even when it puts her own safety at risk is admirable. She pushes herself beyond her limits to ensure her family is safe and those she cares about most.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- World History / Contemporary Global Studies: This novel serves as a powerful resource for high school curricula analyzing the Syrian Civil War and the Arab Spring. It prompts deep discussion about how a conflict is defined, challenging students to analyze Salama’s internal shift from viewing the crisis not simply as a passive war, but as an active revolution for freedom.
- Psychology / Mental Health Education: The book offers an incredible case study on the psychological toll of trauma, survival guilt, and severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Khawf, the physical manifestation of Salama’s fear, provides a vivid, discussable representation of defense mechanisms and the mind’s intricate coping systems under extreme distress.
Diversity & Representation:
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The novel strongly champions diversity, equity, and inclusion by centering on a Muslim, Syrian protagonist who preserves her faith, values, and cultural heritage amid systemic destruction. By documenting the unvarnished realities of the Syrian revolution through an authentic lens, the text disrupts flat, media-driven narratives of refugees, granting profound agency and intricate humanity to Arab youth facing mass displacement.
Readalikes:
- A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
- The Places I’ve Cried in Public by Holly Bourne
- Salt Houses by Hala Alyan
