udon-noddles-and-books

[udon-noddles-and-books]

They Both Die at the End

RATING: 7/10 ★

I knew they were both going to die in the end, but did it save me from the misery? No. 

“I would've loved you if we had more time.”

I stared into thin air after setting the book down. This book was sad for many reasons, the most important being how it reminds us of our own lives. Sooner or later we are all going to end up in the same fate as Mateo and Rufus; dying, but you don’t have to drown in the ‘what ifs’ of life and have only twenty-four hours to paint a masterpiece over a canvas that’s long been left blank like they did.

“I wasted all those yesterdays and am completely out of tomorrows.”

If you are reading this you still have a chance to take the risk: call the friends you’ve drifted away from, the ones who still cross your mind late at night, tell your parents who much they mean to you, hug your sibling tight, stick your neck out for your beliefs and pour your whole heart into everything you do. You don’t want to lie on your deathbed and realize you have spent your whole life just waiting to live. ⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚

[udon-noddles-and-books]

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow

RATING: 9.5/10 ★

This is my second time attempting to write a review for As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh, as no matter how hard I pounder in front of my laptop screen no words can describe how much of a gut-wrenching, soul-aching extraordinary tale this was. So here’s my final attempt at putting into words just how incredible this book is and why it’s absolutely worth your time to read.

“كلُّ ليمونة ستنجب طفلاً ومحال أن ينتهي الليمون Every lemon will bring forth a child, and the lemons will never die out”

This book follows a young girl, Salama, who amidst the Syrian revolution is forced into a future she’d never imagined. It explores how she loses everything dear to her; her whole world being shattered into fragments akin to her mental state. However through all this, the story at core isn’t about the evil in the world that rips apart one’s chance at a normal life, at its core this story is about Hope. How Salama’s hope for her “might” life leads her into making brutal yet human choices to survive.  

Salama herself is a well thought-out character. From beginning to end, her story provides a clear look into the emotional toll of having to choose between serving her country by staying there for the people that need her or leaving her nation to honour a promise made to her brother to keep her best friend/sister-in-law safe. The difficult decisions she had to take being put in the middle of freedom and safety made her character much more real; deeply painful and human. 

One of the most important parts of the story is Khawf, the literal embodiment of fear that drives Salama forward. This specific hallucination (among that of Layla) I think is a very unique and powerful way of portraying PTSD. It is both fascinating and eye-opening to read about.

“Fear is a cruel thing. The way it distorts thoughts, transforming them from molehills into mountains.”

Apart from the plot itself, Zoulfa Katouh’s writing shines in the way she portrays the Syrian people and their struggle with such clear vivid intensity that I was feeling what they were feeling. Her words don’t just tell a story; they carry the weight of lived experiences and this mirrored the current reality in Palestine. She does an amazing job at pointing out the harsh realities of the world, all the while keeping a beacon of hope alive. 

“And to all the Syrians who loved, lost, lived, and died for Syria. We will come back home one day.”

Side note, the romance in this book is nothing short of beautiful. Kenan is the most respectful, tender, and genuinely loving man I’ve ever read about. The way he and Salaam found each other in the midst of chaos, and became one another’s anchor, reminding each other to keep going, is so moving. Personally, as a pessimistic person, I often expect the worst endings when I read, but this time, I hoped with all my heart that these two would get the ending they both wanted and truly deserved

“It reminds me that as long as the lemon trees grow, hope will never die.”

I am going to stop there, otherwise I’ll surely pass the word limit on Tumblr, but I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone in a heartbeat.  ⊹ ࣪ ˖

[udon-noddles-and-books]

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982

RATING: 9.8/10 ★

This is not just a story about a woman, it's a story about all women. Kim Jiyoung is an embodiment of every woman; you, me and herself. Cho Nam-Joo does an amazing job of combining fiction with fact, by including several footnotes and statistics to remind us that Kim Jiyoung’s story is NOT FICTION, it's a reality every woman has lived through or is living through. It captures benevolent sexism and misogyny women face in their daily life, whether it's at home or work. The ending left me feeling incomplete, I thought there should be a more optimistic ending, however I now understand that it's a realistic ending, reminding us that feminism is not a lost cause; women still face issues due to sex-based prejudice in a society that is believed to be "advanced" no matter which country you hail from.

"The world had changed a great deal, but the little rules, contracts, and customs had not, which meant the world hadn’t actually changed at all."

With many interesting topics packed into this 100 page masterpiece, it leaves room for some debatable discussions. One such arguable topic is Jiyoung's mother, whose story set in a more traditional and rural background, makes her action disputable. Should she have set more realistic expectations and goals for her daughters given the social background at the time, or courage them to combat gender-based violence and strive to achieve their full potential? 

Would definitely recommend anyone regardless of gender to give it a read.

[udon-noddles-and-books]

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