Idayat Olawale’s Reviews > As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow > Status Update

This book is kind of boring.
I know it’s a war book and they tend to have the same settings and scenes throughout (which I feel is a great representation of real life experiences of war), but, I’m seeking something more stimulating and exciting which I feel this book lacks. There’s no eagerness to know ‘what happens next’ and instead I feel like hurrying the book along to get closer to the ending.

“Do all six year olds know what death is? Or is it only children of war?” This like caught me off guard. I feel so pained.

Page 25. I have not even finished reading chapter two and my heart is in chaos. I’ve cried. I cried thinking about how Salama’s experience is the experience of so many people in war-torn countries. My mind couldn’t help but wander to innocent children roaming the streets with no one to look after them, or sole surviving family members all alone. All I could do was empathise and my heart felt heavy doing so.