  | As long as the lemon trees grow Author: Katouh, Zoulfa | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
Eighteen-year-old Salama Kassab, a pharmacy student volunteering at the hospital in Homs, is desperate to find passage on a refugee boat for herself and her pregnant best friend, but first she must learn to see the events around her for what they are--not a war, but a revolution.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: UG Reading Level: 4.80 Points: 15.0 Quiz: 523304 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (08/01/22)
The Hornbook (00/11/22)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 09/15/2022 This challenging read recounts some of the harsh realities Syrians have been facing over the last decade, told from the first-person perspective of hijabi teen Salama, who's struggling to decide between fleeing to (relative) safety or staying to help what remains of her community. Salama works in the hospital with more responsibility than any 18-year-old should bear, but her sister-in-law—her only remaining family—is due to give birth very soon. Leaving her homeland is risky, but is it a risk worth taking? It isn't easy to visualize the pain and trauma Syrians face by watching, reading, or listening to news reports, but Katouh, who is Syrian, shares these stories, all inspired by real events, massacres, and tragedies, with authenticity and raw truth, putting a moving human face on the historic events. Despite the heavy subject matter, there is also hope written into the narrative. Leaving one's homeland is not an easy thing, and it can be difficult to understand if not for the stories like this, which carefully and thoughtfully account for all the trauma leading to these painful decisions. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.
