As long as the lemon trees grow -Zoulfa Katouh

This young adult novel centers on 17Ð18-year-old Salama Kassab, a pharmacy student in Homs during the Syrian Revolution. Amid the violence, she volunteers tirelessly at a hospital, confronting harrowing realitiesÑloss, PTSD, and moral dilemmasÑwhile caring for the wounded. When her pregnant sister-in-law LaylaÕs safety becomes a pressing concern, Salama faces a heart-wrenching choice: stay and serve her community or flee to save her loved ones . As war turns into revolution, a spectral companion named Khawf (Fear) accompanies her, symbolizing her internal struggle . Through vivid storytelling, the novel blends despair with hope, resilience with love, offering a deeply human look at conflictÕs cost and strength .