It is 2011, and the Syrian Revolution is at its peak, a fueled fire between the Assad Dictatorship and the Free Syrian Army. Salaama Kassab has seen the death and destruction firsthand, working as a surgeon in her town, Homs. Desperate to escape the danger and the constant fear, Salaama and her closest friend Layla, who is pregnant, dream of escaping the war. Under the constant stress of the hospital and bearing the loss of her parents and brother, Khawf, who haunts her, becomes a figment of her imagination. As more time passes, Khawf puts more pressure on her to leave, but Salaama feels like she’s betraying her wounded patients and the struggling hospital. After meeting the brother of one of her patients, she begins to believe that there is something beyond war-torn Syria… freedom.
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow was a really good insight into the lives of people during the Syrian revolution and all of the struggles people faced. However, the author could have done a better job explaining why the Syrian revolution was occurring. Why did people need to speak out against their government? Who was the Free Syrian Army? Questions like that are not answered in the book and leave readers slightly confused. It was also a bit slow here and there, but I didn’t mind it too much. I enjoyed the characters and also found myself doing some research on my own of the Syrian revolution and the Assad regime. Overall, it was a solid 3.5 stars.