As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow
An epic, emotional, breathtaking story of love and loss set amid the Syrian revolution. Burning with the fires of hope and possibility, AS LONG AS THE LEMON TREES GROW will sweep you up and never let you go. _______________ SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS DISCOVER BOOK OF THE YEAR ”This is an important book. Everyone should read it” – Elizabeth Laird, award-winning author of Welcome to Nowhere ”Wrenching and lyrical” – Samira Ahmed, New York Times bestselling author of Internment ”Hauntingly beautiful … a must read” – Huda Fahmy, author of Huda F Are You A year ago, before the revolution, Salama watched her brother marry her best friend, Layla, and wondered when her own love story might begin. Now she works at the hospital – helping those she can, closing the eyes of those she can’t. Layla and her unborn baby are all Salama has left. Unless you count Khawf. But he’s a hallucination; a symptom of the horrors she’s seen. Every day he urges Salama to leave. Every day she refuses. Until she crosses paths with Kenan, the boy with the vivid green eyes, who wants to stay and risk his life for everything Syria could be …Review quoteThis is an important book. Everyone should read itReview quoteA searing story of war, loss, family and love, of seeking grace in madness and hope in tragedy … An absolute must read.Review quoteAs gorgeous as it is groundbreaking … This book is devastatingly beautiful.Review quoteBeautiful, powerful and ringing with emotion, it will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading.Biographical noteZoulfa Katouh is a Syrian Canadian based in Switzerland. She is currently pursuing her master’s in Drug Sciences and finds Studio Ghibli inspiration in the mountains, lakes and stars surrounding her. When she’s not talking to herself in the woodland forest, she’s drinking iced coffee, baking aesthetic cookies and cakes, and telling everyone who will listen about how BTS paved the way. A dream of hers is to get Kim Nam-joon to read one of her books. As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow is her debut novel. zoulfakatouh.comPromotional headlineSet amid the Syrian revolution, Zoulfa Katouh”s breathtaking, groundbreaking debut is the global YA sensation everyone is talking about. Shortlisted for the British Book AwardsFeatureShortlisted for the British Book Awards Discover Book of the Year, Zoulfa Katouh”s debut is destined to sit beside modern classics like Khaled Hossein”s THE KITE RUNNER, Ruta Sepetys” SALT TO THE SEA and Markus Zusak”s THE BOOK THIEFFeatureMonumental global launch with rights sold in 18 territories and countingFeatureZoulfa on why she wrote the book: ”As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow is my love letter to Syria, Syrians and hijabi girls who rule their own lives. It’s also a written testimony to a bewildered world on what is actually happening in Syria, because what is seen is usually only the aftermath – the refugees. I wanted to give a voice to the voiceless, talk about our love for our country and how no one wants to be a refugee. I wanted to write a book that makes readers want to change the world.”FeatureBased in Switzerland, Zoulfa has wowed booksellers and fans with her poise and passion during regular visits to the UK, and she will return for key on-publication activity that coincides with Refugee Week in June this year. Zoulfa is passionate about engaging with readers both in person and online