Pages: 360
Published: 2nd May 2019
Genre: General Fiction
Content warnings: Racism, discrimination, child death
Nuri is a beekeeper; his wife, Afra, an artist. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo – until the unthinkable happens. When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape. But what Afra has seen is so terrible she has gone blind, and so they must embark on a perilous journey through Turkey and Greece towards an uncertain future in Britain. On the way, Nuri is sustained by the knowledge that waiting for them is Mustafa, his cousin and business partner, who has started an apiary and is teaching fellow refugees in Yorkshire to keep bees.
As Nuri and Afra travel through a broken world, they must confront not only the pain of their own unspeakable loss, but dangers that would overwhelm the bravest of souls. Above all – and perhaps this is the hardest thing they face – they must journey to find each other again.
Moving, powerful, compassionate and beautifully written, The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit. Told with deceptive simplicity, it is the kind of book that reminds us of the power of storytelling.
In the midst of war, he found love.
In the midst of darkness, he found courage.
In the midst of tragedy, he found hope.
This is an enormously touching story that scales the most profound depths of human suffering, yet is also uplifting. Told in an artfully emotive manner that brings out every ounce of personality from the characters that drive it to such a large extent, it encapsulates the feelings of loss and upheaval in an authentic way, while giving us a meaningful exploration of a major real-world issue.
For anyone who has not been caught up in a civil war or been displaced as a result, the consequences are simply unimaginable. The thought is harrowing, but millions of people in certain parts of the world have had to go through that very reality in recent years before going in search of a place of safety, and though a fictional representation, this book gives them a powerful voice.
The dynamic between Nuri and Afra is what drives the story and makes it so affecting. All they have is each other and the distant thought of a new life in the United Kingdom, but there is an emptiness about them too. Nuri comes across like an optimist, assisted by his correspondences with the affable Mostafa, although he carries a heavy burden while Afra is world-weary, almost having to force herself to keep going.
Their journey is an arduous one, and it is particularly hard-hitting to see the suspicion with which they are occasionally regarded by officials and security personnel along the way. At the same time, something has driven a wedge between them and we find that both have their own coping mechanisms. It is told so sensitively, yet equally the reason for Afra’s suffering acts as quite the plot twist if you are unable to work it out earlier on what really happened.
Despite the subject matter, this is by no means a depressing read. There is of course tragedy and everywhere Nuri and Afra go they encounter some form of physical or psychological obstacle to their progress, but the writing has an upbeat quality to it. The small pleasures in life, the things we so often take for granted but cannot help but appreciate in times of difficulty, they are all accentuated. Also, a unique characteristic of this book is one word per chapter to have its own double-page spread, like there is some connection between them.
Overall, you go in expecting it to be an impactful and thought-provoking read, and it definitely delivers on that front. The characters are beautifully brought to life throughout and you are carried away with them on the journey not only to a place of safety, but to rediscover each other again. It is the kind of book where the full magnitude of its strength of storytelling is not felt until the end, and that will forever leave its mark.
Born in London, Christy Lefteri is of Greek-Cypriot heritage and completed degrees in English and creative writing at Brunel University. Before starting a PhD, she taught English to foreign students and worked as a secondary school teacher, eventually turning her hand to writing.
The Beekeeper Of Aleppo is her debut novel and was highly acclaimed upon release in 2019. It was followed by Songbirds in 2021 and then The Book Of Fire in 2023.
A highly impactful book that made me feel many emotions while reading it, given the uplifting moments that worked in tandem with the heartbreaking ones.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stephen Reads Books 