As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow

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You’re wearing this!” she had announced after pulling me to my room, rolling out her azure- blue kaftan. It was a rich fabric that glided smoothly over my arms. The hemline was stitched in gold, as was the belt at the waist, where it flowed from the sides like a waterfall. The color reminded me of the sea made from rain in Spirited Away. Magical, that is. Three shriveled lemons and a plastic bag of pita bread that’s more dry than moldy sit next to one another. salama, love of my life. my sky, my sun, my moon, and my stars, would you grant this mortal wish of mine?” At the same time, the author tries to destroy the stereotypes that seem to constantly be associated with the Muslim culture: her heroines are free and brave and unafraid to express themselves and dream big while also, yes, they wear hijabs. Because guess what? Wearing a hijab doesn't stop them from being free to express themselves.

Ini mulai dari Salama yang harus melakukan amputasi pada prajurit dari Tentara Pembebasan Suriah atau Free Syrian Army, menyelamatkan anak kecil yang tangan dan kakinya sudah hampir putus, hingga menyelamatkan anak-anak dan perempuan yang terkena serangan senjata kimia. Serangan yang bahkan dalam ilmu kedokteran modern sekalipun masih belum ditemukan prosedur penyelamatannya. His voice reminds me of the freezing water I splash over myself when I come home drenched in the martyrs’ blood. It’s stones weighing on my chest, sinking me to the earth below. It’s heavy as a humid day and deafening as the bombs the military throws on us. It’s what our hospital is built on, and the wordless sounds we make. But in the end, ultimately, I hope you close this book with a newfound sense of hope. With a fire burning in your heart that 'yes, I will change the world' because this world is waiting for you. Salama, Layla, Kenan, and all the characters in this story may be fictional, but they exist in every single Syrian out there. These stories happened-- are still happening. We have once said we wouldn't allow for another Holocaust to happen, and yet, we are living through genocide every single day. Knowing their stories, their names is the first step. The second is to tell those who don't know. That's what this book is. An answer to those who are looking for one. Because no one takes to the sea, risking drowning and sharks in the water, sailing to an unknown future, if what they're leaving behind isn't something much more horrific. Yeah, money we need to survive when we get there. We don’t know how much he’ll ask for, and besides, the stories . . .”But it’s not that anymore. Layla’s home has lost its spark, the colors completely faded, leaving a sunken gray shade in their wake. It’s a husk of a home. Tak mengherankan jika kemudian Salama pun acap kali mengalami berbagai masalah mental. Ia mulai berhalusinasi, kesulitan tidur, hingga bisa tiba-tiba terdiam dengan tatapan kosong. Khawf (dalam bahasa Arab berarti rasa takut) pun hadir dalam manifestasinya terhadap trauma besar yang ia alami. Trauma yang melebihi PTSD dan kini punya istilah sendiri, Human Devastation Syndrome atau Sindrom Kehancuran Manusia. Ia juga merasa bersalah tiap kali ada pasien yang harus kehilangan nyawa dalam pengawasannya. Rasa bersalah ini semakin kuat apalagi semenjak ada seorang anak laki-laki yang ia “biarkan” meninggal karena mengalami pendarahan dalam. References to lemons are dotted throughout the book, from the scent they emit to their place in the country’s rich cultural heritage. We are so thrilled to present to you… the ‘As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow’ Exclusive Mortal Edition, brought to you in collaboration with @bloomsburypublishing and @thelemonwitch_!

He means so much more than that one four-letter word –love– but there's no other way to describe what I feel about him. And so i'll have to be content with it; find a way to carve a whole universe into its letters – an infinity. Be thankful that through him, I'm blessed enough to know the meaning of it at all.'I'm sure our souls met way before they found their way into our bodies. I think that's where we know each other from." Don’t focus on the darkness and sadness. If you do, you won’t see the light even if it’s staring you in the face.” A Canadian national with Syrian parents, Katouh split her childhood between Dubai and Switzerland, where she found that she was on the receiving end of a lot of questions about Syria and the war. She felt duty-bound to serve her fellow Syrians, even if it was from a distance. I will say the plot twist was well-written and did surprise me (though I didn’t feel enough attachment to the characters to actually… care, unfortunately), and Khawf as a character was definitely one of, if not the most, compelling part of the book as a whole. Another thing I really enjoyed was how important religion was to these characters, and how they never strayed from it even when things like a blossoming romance could’ve gotten in the way of their values. That’s something I think we’re seeing a lot less often in YA as time goes on, and it was really refreshing to read as a young person who wants to be more religious! Zoulfa does an incredible job at showing us the struggle of the Syrian people in our two beautiful main characters Salama and Kenan(who I love so so much). But she does an even better job at showing us the perseverance of human kind. Whether it’s through relying on religion or our country or each other, the moments of happiness in this book made me smile despite the tears streaming down my face (I cried at least 12 times during this book).

Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors. She knows that she should be thinking about leaving, but who will help the people of her beloved country if she doesn't? With her heart so conflicted, her mind has conjured a vision to spur her to action. His name is Khawf, and he haunts her nights with hallucinations of everything she has lost. The story takes place in Homs, which was a purposeful decision on the part of Katouh. “Homs is known as the birthplace of the Syrian Revolution. I wanted to pay an homage to that city,” she says. he'd be standing in front of me now, holding up two fresh halloumi mana'eesh, the melted cheese on the warm bread seeping through the paper wrapping, while supporting two cups of zhoorat tea, the mint leaves filling the air with their freshness.

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This is my land, and just like the lemon trees that have been growing here for centuries, spilled blood won’t stop us.” the sweetest character. he made a million studio ghibli movies <3 he teaches you to fight for what you believe in, to fight for your country and your people. but he also teaches you that love for your family can overpower the love for your country and to not feel guilty about it because you can carry the love with you wherever you go. But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, when she crosses paths with Kenan, the boy she was supposed to meet on that 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. Kenean and salama relationship was so beautiful and adorable and heartwarming. So pure so innocent <3 I loved their banter so much. How the smallest touch between them made my heart melt.