As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow

Rhis is a original and multifaceted debut novel from an interesting young writer.

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow is the story of teenage Salama as she lives through the Syrian revolution. Salama’s life is in tatters; most of her family are dead and her beloved city of Homs is in ruins. Salama works in a hospital and sees pain and death first hand each day. She is also very aware of the political issues and state rule that are driving the situation.

Whilst reading this YA novel I was very aware that one young woman would struggle to shoulder a life so full of despair, and I was really pleased that unlike some more sensationalist adventure novels Katouh has chosen to delve deep into how living in terror affects her characters’ mental health.

Obviously, with this backdrop this novel can be quite relentlessly sad, this is where the romance comes in. Salama finds moments of happiness in a whirlwind romance, giving her much needed support and hope. At times I found the swiftness of this romance and the religious framework quite jarring but it fits with the setting and cultural background.

I would recommend this for dreamy and deep thinking teens who want an emotionally driven story that still teaches them a lot about the Syrian revolution, war and survival.

Do you have any advisory warnings for this book? This novel is based in a war zone and many violent deaths occur. The main characters are mentally ill and starving as a result. There are also looming threats of death, rape, torture, and violence.

Would this book work as a read aloud? Probably not for a class.

Is there a particular part of the country that it’s set in? It is set in Syria.