The Beekeeper of Aleppo: The heartbreaking tale that everyone's talking about

As a Syrian I definitely shed alot of tears reading this.. it's a masterpiece. It's heartbreaking too, but that's because it's just so truthful to what our war is really like. I absolutely adore the accuracy of our culture that the writer adapted, i didn't feel it written by a foreigner but rather by someone who really understands our culture. Absolutely recommended.

The book was nicely written; a quick and easy read. The author paints a picture of the experiences of refugees and the hardships they face when trying to get to a safer country; her experiences as a UN volunteer make reading this all the more real and eye-opening. The moving story of the characters in this book highlights the importance of understanding the alternative view and not one that is usually portrayed in the media of refugees being a 'burden' on countries they flee to.I will look forward to more from the author as I found that her choice of clear and simple language allowed the book to flow well and despite the subject and content of the book, made it all the more entertaining to read.Would definitely recommend.

Do the broken lives of war refugees move you?“Sometimes we create such powerful illusions so that we do not get lost in the darkness”☕️What a breathtaking read! I have to admit parts of this book broke my heart and I have never cried so much reading a book before😔We see war refugees all over the news and everyone has an opinion on the subject of immigration but seldom do we understand the traumatic journey the people make.THE STORY - Nuri, a 🐝beekeeper and his wife, Afra, an artist 🎨 are living their perfect dream in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo. Then, the war breaks, leaving them exposed and vulnerable to a broken world, to a horrifying loss and to the tragic journey from Syria through Turkey and Greece to UK.MY RATING - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/21/2 ⭐️ is withheld because it took me time and complete focus to get invested in the story. I love how #christylefteri (author) have bridged the 3️⃣ timelines : Pre-war Happy Life in Syria, Horrifying past days of the war in Syria and Present unbroken sky in England through flashbacks and Nuri’s nightmares and dreams both in past and present by connecting the chapters by ONE ☝️ word. The last word of each chapter becomes the title and beginning of the next one.Although the read is compelling, it disappointed me a little in the end. Certain answers are left open - did Nuri Afra reach their destination and claim asylum? What about Afra’s eyesight? Did Nuri seek help for PTSD? I wish I could find closure for these.Have a good read !

Beautifully written. Very moving. Highly recommended.

Great read

This book is a tribute to all who are forced to leave their homes under duress. It is a moving story put together from the lived experience of those who are exploited by people traffickers and, left forgotten in camps and unwelcome in countries they travel through. The hope they cling to is kept alive by their own strength but also by the occasional kindness of strangers. It has given me a deeper empathy which I could not have reached through news reports.

There are many books out there about the horrors of war. This book explores the emotional impact of war and displacement. Highly recommended.

A beautifully written book of tragedy hope and love. Not a light read. A very moving read.

Bem escrito

The book has 360 pages split into 14 numbered chapters - each of those is then broken in two by flashbacks to the back story which are triggered by specific words - "hope", "morning", "a key" and others.This had been recommended by many people and was first published in 2019 so I was surprised it had taken me so long to pick it up.It's an interesting thought that this is based on Syrian refugees. In the last 4-5 years many more refugees are on the move, speaking many different languages but there are still people trying to escape from Syria today - the countries vary but the stories remain very similar and this book stays very current.The first part of each chapter gives the story of the couple in the UK as they seek asylum. The second part tells us the story of why they have had to escape using chronological flashbacks.It's a frequently used structure to have two time lines but I've not seen it done quite like this and it works well.Throughout the book there is a lot of symbolism - illustrating connections and differences - water is used multiple times and colour is a very visual theme.More deeply, the book considers the effects of trauma and displacement. Nuri and Afia carry their memories and we are frequently reminded about their experiences.Poignantly, as I was sitting at home reading about a boat trip across the sea in a dinghy, my phone flashed, telling me about 4 people who had died in a similar boat in the English Channel. This emphasised the tragedy on a very human level.In parts, the account has a feint hallucinogenic quality to it which has the effect of making Nuri's story more real. He is seeing visions brought on by trauma, hunger and desperation - we see them through him, we know they are not always there but we still believe that he sees them (clever writing!!).The author writes in a way that portrays the best of humanity and the worse through the same piece of narrative. There is hope and despair together with many other contrasting emotions.The natural beauty of the world continually shines through the horror, giving Nuri a reason to keep going on. Of course, the bees are the major theme then alongside there are wonderful descriptions of nature - showing how it can thrive through adversity. Lots of metaphors and much deep meaning.At the end of this book there is an Acknowledgements section. This explains all the amazing people who helped this book come to life and made it real. It is a work of fiction but has many roots from genuine people.It is sensitive, emotional and beautiful.

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