Zoulfa Katouh

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow

Saffia

Kenan stretches each finger, flexes his wrists. 'It might be difficult at first. The world might be too loud or too silent. It might be neon bright or pitch black, but slowly, it'll put itself back together. It will resemble something normal. Then you'll see the colours, Salama'. 

My lips part and a desire awakens in my heart. 'Do we even deserve to see them, Kenan?' I whisper after a minute, and from his expression, I know he understands I'm not talking about colours. Survivor's remorse is a second skin we are cursed to wear forever.

He looks away, his lips drawn tight, because this isn't an easy question to answer. Time is the best medicine to turn our bleeding wounds to scars, and our bodies might forget the trauma, our eyes might learn to see colours as as they should be seen, but that cure doesn't extend to our souls. It doesn't. Time doesn't forgive our sins, and it doesn't bring back the dead. 

Livaa

“Every lemon will bring forth a child and the lemons will never die out.”

“This is my land, and just like the lemon trees that have been growing here for centuries, spilt blood won't stop us. I have my faith in God. He'll protect me. I've been force-fed oppression, but I will no longer swallow its bitter taste. No matter what”

https://destadsreporters.nl/lifestyle/boekreview/

Sanne

Full review (Dutch) 💛: 

https://destadsreporters.nl/lifestyle/boekreview/

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.

It took me quite some time to finish the book because, honestly, the anxiety I felt with every page was almost unbearable. My concern for Salama and her family, especially Layla, weighed heavily on me. Salama’s resilience stood out as she made courageous choices to honor her beloved brother’s memory. Kenan, too, played a pivotal role in her life, offering the only familial bond she had left. Their moments together were a delicate mix of warmth and heartbreak. The raw portrayal of depression added another layer of emotional intensity, forcing me to confront the privilege of never having to endure the kind of cruelty faced by the Syrian people. It left me praying for the freedom of the Free Syrian Army and for justice and peace for the innocent lives caught in the conflict.

I shared with a friend how Zoulfa Katouh’s choice to write in the present tense added another dimension to the story, underscoring that these horrors are not confined to history—they are happening now. This narrative choice serves as a stark reminder that, while we enjoy the comforts of peace, the Syrian people endure daily violence, robbed of justice for years. The book’s purpose is clear: to inform, awaken, and challenge indifference. For this, Zoulfa Katouh has my deepest respect.

The final sentence in the epilogue was profoundly moving, encapsulating the heart of the story:

🏹

It took me quite some time to finish the book because, honestly, the anxiety I felt with every page was almost unbearable. My concern for Salama and her family, especially Layla, weighed heavily on me. Salama’s resilience stood out as she made courageous choices to honor her beloved brother’s memory. Kenan, too, played a pivotal role in her life, offering the only familial bond she had left. Their moments together were a delicate mix of warmth and heartbreak. The raw portrayal of depression added another layer of emotional intensity, forcing me to confront the privilege of never having to endure the kind of cruelty faced by the Syrian people. It left me praying for the freedom of the Free Syrian Army and for justice and peace for the innocent lives caught in the conflict.

I shared with a friend how Zoulfa Katouh’s choice to write in the present tense added another dimension to the story, underscoring that these horrors are not confined to history—they are happening now. This narrative choice serves as a stark reminder that, while we enjoy the comforts of peace, the Syrian people endure daily violence, robbed of justice for years. The book’s purpose is clear: to inform, awaken, and challenge indifference. For this, Zoulfa Katouh has my deepest respect.

The final sentence in the epilogue was profoundly moving, encapsulating the heart of the story:


It reminds me that as long as the lemon trees grow, hope will never die.

- Aku setuju kalo banyak orang yang bilang buku ini buku bagus
- Bahasa yang dipakai itu loh, hasil terjemahan aja seindah ini apalagi yang eng version.
Terimakasih banyak buat ka Berliani dan ka Esti yg sdh menerjemahkan buku ini dengan sangat baik, membuatku mudah masuk ke dalam cerita dan menyelami kisah para tokohnya dengan baik.
- Karena pakai POV orang pertama serba tahu, bikin kita saat baca tuh bisa merasakan apa yang Salama rasakan, latar tempat, dan suasanya bener2 digambarkan dengan detil membuat pembaca bisa merasakan berada di Homs, Suriah secara langsung 😭
- Kisah di buku ini aga relate sama kehidupan sekarang, jadi selama baca sering nyesek gitu 😭
- Kisah romansanya bener2 indah, kek manis, bikin senyum2, tetep halal, walaupun kadang sakit juga kalo membayangkan mereka berkasih di tempat penuh konflik 😭
- Rasa suka penulis dengan Studio Gibli yang kemudian dia sisipkan di dalam cerita tuh bikin aku enjoy saat membacanya.
- Terlepas dari ilmu medis yang dituliskan di dalamnya, (aku gabisa berkomentar benar/salah karena bukan bidangku) aku suka cara penulis yang banyak menceritakan keadaan rumah sakit, orang2nya, harapan2 para korban yang muncul didalamya, hingga tragedi yang ada.
- Plot twistnya bikin menganga, kek ga disangka loh 😭
- Menuju epilog, rasanya sakit, entah berapa tisu yang kuhabiskan :)
- Dari buku ini jadi paham dengan "Anda boleh mengeluarkan warga Suriah dari Suriah, namun Anda tidak akan pernah bisa menghilangkan Suriah dari hati warga Suriah."
- Endingnya aku rasa fair meski aku pribadi masih bertanya-tanya bagaimana kisah lanjutan orang2 terdekat mereka di Homs
Mungkin aku akan membaca ulang keseluruhan buku, takut ada beberapa hal yang terlewat 😅

Overall suka banget sama buku ini
Gimana kita diajak buat menyelami kisah korban konflik Suriah, kisah romansa halal yang indah, sampai ke ajakan untuk menciptakan harapan2 besar untuk tetap melanjutkan hidup, banyak kalimat indah quotable juga di sini.
Super recomended!!

Barat Laut

no wonder why people loves this book so much. it caused me sobbing for each of the chapters. 

aku baca versi terjemahan Bahasa Indonesia dari buku ini. menurutku, terjemahannya sangat bagus. bahasanya tertata rapi. aku suka apa yang penulis ingin sampaikan kepada kami pembaca, entah mengapa aku mengira bahwa penulis ingin kita tahu apa yang terjadi di Suriah melalui karyanya ini. semacam sebuah surat. 

aku juga suka bagaimana penulis menggambarkan suatu kondisi, dimana Salama mengidap PTSD dan bagaimana penulis menghadirkan Khawf pada karyanya ini. hal tersebut setidaknya dapat memberi gambaran kepada pembaca, bahwa sebuah trauma bukanlah hal sepele, yang mungkin hanya bisa diatasi dengan berdoa. sesungguhnya Salama butuh seseorang. 

dalam cerita ini, aku belajar bahwa kita sebagai makhluk hidup, manusia, berhak atas kebahagiaan. seberat apapun rintangan hidup kita, selama kita berusaha, akan ada minimal satu bab dalam hidup dimana dituliskan kita sedang memeluk bahagia, bercanda-tawa dengan bahagia, dan menggenggam erat kebahagiaan. aku teringat akan sebuah kutipan dalam buku, "...

Carmen Maria

I HAVE NO WORDS. It’s the most heartbreaking story I’ve ever read. And as a Syrian girl who lives in Europe now I can relate to the story of salama and it breaks my heart that she had to lose her family like that. I cried the whole time I was reading it cause it brought back many many memories that I had in Syria. Right now I’m praying for everyone in Syria for safety and hope. Syria will be back 🇸🇾 

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow

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