The Beekeeper of Aleppo: The heartbreaking tale that everyone's talking about Paperback – 20 Feb. 2020

A trauma, a tragic event so powerful that Afra, a talented Syrian artist, married to Nuri and mum to 7 year old Sami, has lost her sight. The first chapter has a dramatic opening when Nuri says about his wife: “I am glad she is blind, if I could give her a key that opened a door into another world, then I would wish for her to see again”.The author takes us in the ruthless world of Aleppo, at the time of the civil war which destroyed so many lives and pushed so many Syrians to leave their country.The novel starts with the description of Nuri, beekeeper, living a happy life alongside his wife and son. Nuri has two passions in this beautiful city of Aleppo : his family and his bees.But then, war starts, the hives are destroyed, unimaginable events happen and force Nuri and Afra to flee Aleppo. The story retraces their travels, their encounters, the terror that confronts them each step of the way, the demons they have faced and that they will never be able to forget.Will Nuri and Afra make it to the UK and be able to start a new life?A beautiful story, with an intriguing title, the style is direct which makes reading easy and fluid. The reader will be moved by all the characters, the main ones but also the many characters met during the hard journey from Aleppo.Although the story is based on extremely sad and brutal events, it also describes kindness, humanity and hope.It is such an original idea to go from present to past, with the use of one single word ending a chapter and starting a new one. A powerful, moving story that will make the reader empathise with all the migrants who have been forced to flee their country devastated by war and terror.This book will really open your eyes to the world of the migrants. Difficult to read at times but beautifully moving and inspiring

There seems to be a trend of books with the title format 'The [occupation] of [awful place]' ('The Tattooist of Auschwitz', 'The Bookseller of Kabul', 'The Bookseller of Dachau' etc.). Of course Aleppo was once a lovely city, until Syria's civil war turned it into a hell for the civilians caught up in it. One such civilian is this book's protagonist - Nuri. Once a beekeeper with a wife and child, now a refugee making the dangerous journey to the UK with only his injured wife left.The story alternates between Nuri's present - in temporary accommodation in the UK - and his past, first in the title city but mostly on his perilous odyssey across Asia and Europe. Nuri is a likeable and sympathetic protagonist, and there are also interesting supporting characters. It is beautifully written - Lefteri has a good way with words. But such a story is never going to be a comfortable read. Nuri is fictional but his story is the reality of many people and as someone fortunate enough not to be in that position it does make you think about how lucky you are. I found it particularly close to the bone since I live in a country whose government is continually trying to make life harder for asylum seekers.It's a powerful and sad story, although not one that ever wallows in misery. As with all novels I've read on this topic, it left me feeling sad and overwhelmed at the scale of the problem and lack of solutions. I don't know what the answer is, but I do know there has to be a better one than the horrors described in this novel.People who argue against compassionate treatment of refugees should read this book and the others like it - it would change their perspective. Unfortunately I suspect the people who read this novel will already be sympathetic towards asylum seekers and other migrating people. But even if it just changes one mind, or reminds all of us to be more caring and more aware of the pain anyone might be hiding, then it will have done a good job.

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.

An eye-opening glimpse into the real-life experiences of refugees. Written with great compassion. In my opinion, this is a must-read for those who do not know much about the plight of refugees in our world.

Bem escrito

Stream of consciousness technique is used in this novel brilliantly . Very engaging and unfolds facade of truth in the life of refugees. As it was taken from the lives of real people and places every nuances of the story matters more to me. Through the eyes of Nuri and Agra I was able to understand the predicament they face throughout their journey. As they were fortunate enough to live and reach the safe destination my hearts goes to the twins , angelici and other few people who lost their loved ones , souls/body ripped and children who lost/snatched from their parents even after several struggles couldn’t escape from the brutality of war physically and mentally. They wanders and lost their lives in d deep blue ocean and in d darkness of woods in the journey to save themselves and their families. It’s so disheartening to see still there are wars which not only robs the lives of innocents but also robs their dreams of living a safe normal life somewhere in the corner of this earth. This writer has d power to transfer the emotions and pain of each character through her writings. The language is simple and lucid but powerful enough to make anyone cry. Loved/lived this book.

Key takeaways from reading the book:- Page 20: In Syria, there is a saying which goes like this: Inside the person you know, there is a person you do not know.- Page 75: People told stories of people, who never made it to Greece - of whole families, men, women and children, lost at sea.- Pages 207 and 261: Afra explained to a doctor that she became blind through a bomb. Telling the story about becoming blind, she explained that her son Sami wanted to play outside, because being inside all the time was like a prison for him. As there had not been bombs for two days, she let her son play outside. Suddenly, she heard a whistle from the sky and went out to her son. When she got to the door, there was a loud explosion and bright light. Since then, she has not been able to see. The last thing she saw was the eyes of her son Sami, who was looking up at the sky. Her son died from the explosion. The doctor explained to Afra that it is possible that the blindness, which Afra is experiencing, is the result of trauma. Following up on this, the doctor explained that sometimes our bodies can find ways to cope, when we are faced with things that are too much to bear. On page 261, Afra explained that since she told the doctor about the bomb, it is all she can think of. She can see the face of her son Sami. She can see Sami's eyes looking up at the sky. She wonders what her son felt: Was he in pain? What did he feel when he looked up at the sky? Did he know that she, his mother, was there?- Page 214: Two brothers, Ryad and Ali, told their story. They explained that they had fled Afghanistan and people, who killed their father. They explained that after their father's death, the twins were targeted by The Taliban. They mentioned that their mother had asked them to leave, because she was afraid she would lose them as well. They also explained that their mother had kissed their faces a hundred times because she was afraid she would never see them again. Their journey went through Turkey and Lesbos. They explained that they had slept on the streets.

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