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.”

As Long as the Lemon Tree Grows by Zoulfa Katouh

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 was even supposed to be meeting a boy to talk about marriage.

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.

I really don't know where to start to review this debut book. To say it was brilliant or a great read is an understatement. I feel I have to thank the author for writing it , and I've never done that before. Ever.
The emotions you go through whilst reading the trauma and horrors that the characters, and possibly real life Syrians went through is horrifying and it brings the experience of war , and what people have to endure makes your heart bleed .
A hard read but a wonderful one.

I would struggle to be able to review this book due to issues with the file/download. The issues stopped the flow of the book. The issues are:
- Missing words in the middle of sentences
- Stop/start sentences on different lines
- No clear definition of chapters.

Not sure if it was a file/download issue but there were lots of gaps and stops/starts which really ruined the flow. Huge gaps from the first couple of pages, and the format doesn't fill the page which stops the flow. I would love the chance to read a better version as the description of the book appeals to me. I would be more than happy to re-read the book with a better file or as a physical book as the book topic and genre are of interest to me. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

Beautiful read highlighting on the ongoing conflict in Syria; this is a MUST read. I have to warn you there are some TW to be careful of, including SA, abuse, torture and death. This book was written with heartfelt emotion and it will break your heart; but you'll love it regardless.

I knew this was going to be a heart-wrenching read and I was correct. Salama wanted to be a pharmacist but at the end of her second year of studies a revolution in Syria not only cut university short but also forced her to act as an apprentice doctor at her local hospital stitching up the wounded who arrived every day.
Kenan was documenting the horrors of war, risking his life filming and uploading scenes of devastation in the neighbourhood, including the hospital for the world to see and be aware, hoping for help.
Samina’s family had been depleted by her Mother being killed in an attack on their home and her Father and brother either fighting or being taken by the rebels - the uncertainty hurt. That left only her sister-in-law, Layla to whose house Samina returned every day.
People around her were dying including children as through lack of staff and medication the hospital staff left were unable to save them all.
Throughout the book Samina is haunted by hallucinations goading her and showing her worst-case scenarios.
Samina is given a chance to escape on a boat as a refugee, but can she bear to take it?
The detail of injuries, the brutality of soldiers and the horrors of a chemical attack on children are not glossed over – and this has and is still happening.
For those of us in the west complaining about an influx of refugees this is what they are escaping from.
The book does have a love story flowing through – of country, of family and between woman and man but it is more than a simple romance against all odds. It is beautifully written and I didn’t do that justice in my haste to see what happened.