User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
“Refugees didn’t just escape a place. They had to escape a thousand memories until they’d put enough time and distance between them and their misery, to wake to a better day.”
― Nadia Hashimi, When the Moon is Low
Nuri was a beekeeper in Aleppo, Syria, his wife Afra an artist - of course this was before the war that was to tear their lives apart, and in which they suffered the most unbearable loss. In addition, this loss left Afra blind. Prior to the war, they’d lived a simple but happy life among friends and family, people who knew the meaning of the most important thing in life - love.
As things became ever more dangerous, with random killings and beheadings of innocent men, women and children, they had no choice but to leave what was left of their once beautiful city, and the only lives they had ever known. They become one of the many thousands of displaced people - asylum seekers making the dangerous journey across countries and stormy seas, whilst encountering much hatred and prejudice along the way. These people have witnessed unbelievable horrors that have left them grief stricken, broken and traumatised, and, as they begin this mammoth journey to who knows where? they have to believe that they will find a new home somewhere, but it will be a home with rooms empty of those that they loved.
Gosh, what a journey this was, not merely in geographical terms, but in the raw emotions of those involved. The subject of immigration is one that everyone has an opinion on, and The Beekeeper of Aleppo takes you behind the news headlines, giving a birds eye view of the dangers and obstacles involved. It’s a horrifying yet beautiful novel that is so relevant right now.
The author is well qualified to bring us this fictional, yet realistic story, as she spent time working as a volunteer at a UNICEF supported refugee centre in Athens.
Don’t miss this haunting , heartbreaking and thought provoking novel - even the simple description of the love and attention Nuri lavished on his beloved bees, is just so moving it’s enough to break your heart.
*Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
Rating: really liked it
After I finished reading this, I almost wasn’t going to write a full review, but just say that it’s a heartbreaking, realistic rendering of the refugee experience, of people struggling to make it to a country that would provide asylum from a place where they have endured incredible loss and face imminent danger. In spite of the heartache, it’s a beautifully written story and I highly recommend it. That’s all I was going to say because I thought the book was so powerful, it would speak for itself. But I couldn’t leave it at that because this book, this story deserves a few more words. This author deserves a few more words about the amazing thing she has accomplished in this small volume.
Nuri, the Syrian beekeeper of the title and his wife Afra make a harrowing journey from Syria, through Turkey and Greece to the UK, a hard journey, traumatic at times from what Nuri sees and does there and the past he dreams about. Afra, his wife is suffering , blinded by the bombing is grieving an unimaginable loss to most of us. Nuri cares for her, seemingly so strong in the face of the adversity that has fallen on them, but he too is suffering and it manifests itself in such a heartbreaking way. He, too is suffering from the loss, has witnessed horrific things, and has lost his livelihood caring for bees in a business with his cousin. The loss of everything they held dear and now this profound grief and sense of displacement. As I read this, I wondered about Christy Lefteri and how she could be so intimately engaged in their sorrow and their struggle. Then I read her note at the end and realized that her deep compassion emanates from her experiences as a volunteer with refugees, from listening to their stories and from a personal connection to refugees - her parents. (This article describes that connection. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/bo...)
I loved the writing, how she seamlessly bridges the past to the present through flashbacks and through Nuri’s dreams and nightmares and by connecting one chapter to another by a word. The last word of each chapter is continued with the title of the next chapter and that word begins the first sentence of that chapter. I found this very affecting. This is not a very long book, but it is not a quick one to read. It is incredibly sad and some of the images were reminiscent of the horrific ones I’ve seen on TV, as the refugee crisis is front and center in the news. I have read a number of novels about immigrants, but none until now about the journey to asylum. This is a stunning portrayal, profoundly emotional and thought provoking. If I had written a shorter review, I would have said, you need to read this.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Random House/Ballantine through NetGalley.
Rating: really liked it
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I didn’t wrongly type those dots. I’m speechless and still trying to gather the broken pieces of my heart but when i glue the crumbled pieces, my heart will consist of mismatched puzzle pieces because this book already stole a huge piece of me that could be never ever replace!
Afra and Nuri created an ordinary, happy life with their child, the jobs which fits their passions, a house, a land with bees buzzing around and making their peaceful happy dances. Nuri’s easygoing, friendly, emotional and touchy characteristics matched with the nature of bees. He was the shepherd, Godfather of them, knowing their needs which helped him to create a harmonious life with them.
Afra is a talented artist who has third eye to help her to be differentiated from her competitors. Her visionary and creation were beyond the words. Till she lost three of her eyes with a bomb cut her all lifelines.
They lost their land in he fire...
They lost their child...
They lost their beautiful ordinary life...
Worst part of it THEY LOST THEIR HOPE!
Sigh... I need a moment right now... This book is too heavy, heart wrenching read. I thought that I have high level pain tolerance but I couldn’t be so wrong! I can read so many gory, harsh, terrifying thriller books or watch bloody slasher movies but when it comes to the books which gives your stomach churning, heart ripping sensations, I stop and freeze because the fiction part was over and reality kicks in!
Afra and Nuri left their country, their old life, their loved ones, their traditions, their passions, memories, friends, childhood, home behind to run away to save their lives.
They’re literally not in Kansas anymore,they’re living in the purgatory !
Neither they can live in the past nor they can live in the present time.
The dangerous journey started from Turkey and continued to Greece and finalized in the UK was heart throbbing and struggling experience but they finally made it against all odds.
Now they were waiting for the immigration officers’ decision about their lives as two exhausted souls who were afraid of touching each other and holding their deceased son’s memories.
It was tragic, heavy, hard, struggling and one of most realistic read for me! I loved the conclusion of the story!
I’m a little angry at the author for giving me so many ugly cries and taking out of my vulnerable piece of my heart!
She changed me and gave me insightful look about the one of the most important social, political issues of our modern world by ripping my heart ...
And I ‘m so thankful to her for this one of the greatest social and political awareness/ emotional reading!
So much special thanks to Netgalley and Ballentine Books for sending me ARC COPY like an early Christmas gift on August in exchange my honest review !
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Rating: really liked it
The Beekeeper of Aleppo gives names and faces to the glimpses we've had of the people that became Syrian refugees. People who were living their lives, working their jobs, raising their families, and enjoying everyday home life until the war and fighting finally blew up their existence and killed their friends, neighbors, and family. All that is left to do is to wait to be killed or die a slow death of starvation and lack of everything a human needs to survive.
We meet Nuri, a beekeeper who has lost his hives and bees, and his blind wife, Afra. They have suffered the worst loss of all and still must find a way to keep living, if they can find the will to keep living, in their war ravaged world. Nuri's beekeeping partner and cousin Mustafa urges Nuri to find a way to get to Yorkshire, where Mustafa started an apiary and is training other refugees to raise bees. Nuri must convince his wife Afra, whose heart and spirit are broken by all that they have lost, to make the journey with him.
What they've already seen and suffered is more than they can shoulder but now they must endure even more as they make the long, dangerous, journey through strange lands and bureaucratic paperwork that has the power to throw their lives right back into the hell of their homeland. We meet others that are trying to find a home away from persecution, war, and the surety of death, if they are made to return to the places that they are fleeing. Privacy, personal space, all that they knew as home and family, are gone and it's hard to imagine how anyone can have the hope and willpower to keep fighting when they are so beaten into the ground.
Christy Lefteri knows what she is writing about because she worked with refugees and saw their suffering and anguish and did what she could do to help them. Her love of these hurting people is so very clear in the way she writes about them and I thank her helping me to really see what these refugees go through to find a place where they can be eat, sleep, and be safe again.
Pub August 27th 2019
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.
Rating: really liked it
Five heart-breaking stars for a gripping and immersive read. A story of love and loss after the total destruction of Aleppo. I knew I was going to devour this book from the start after reading a few heartfelt words from a father who records the death of his son in a few simple but poignant words
"Name - my beautiful boy.
Cause of death - this broken world"From the first word to the last, from Aleppo in Syria to the UK, from stability to uncertainty, and from the shattered lives of a brutal war to a new life in a new country, we follow an incredibly touching story of a small group of Syrian refugees. Their lives, their families and their hopes shattered by a familiar aggressor on the global stage. However, where there is evil there is also good, where there is destruction there is also courage, and where there is life there is always hope.
“Where there are bees there are flowers, and wherever there are flowers there is new life and hope.”The PlotAlthough fictional, many of the events and lives are inspired by the true events of a displaced people who not just lost everything they own but they were also vulnerable to other dangers, of people smugglers and traffickers, as they make their way across Europe looking for a safe haven, in the UK.
Nuri and Mustafa are beekeepers in Aleppo who are separated after the invasion and destruction of Aleppo both seeking refuge in England. Yet the darkness often referred to in times of desperation is only too real for Afra, Nuri’s wife, who has been left blind after an explosion that claimed the life of their only son.
Left defenceless and vulnerable, Nuri and Afra, are exposed to acts of kindness and unimaginable horrors as they encounter those seeking to exploit their hardship and loss, as Nuri battles post-traumatic stress disorder himself.
Review and CommentsThis is a very timely and heart-breaking story of a people displaced by war and the atrocities inflicted by brutal regimes, as the first casualty is often the innocent people and the ‘truth’. Like the people of Aleppo and now Ukraine, many people in other countries have suffered deplorable similar fates through war. However, this story brought the refugee crisis home to me, without being dramatic it highlighted the tragic circumstances faced by many. A very powerful story that felt so real it came across as though the characters were speaking direct about their story.
The personal account of events, the intimacy of their struggles, their vulnerability expressed through their fears were incredibility touching, authentic and all too real for many. From the darkest tunnels of grief the author did really well to use bees as the symbol of vulnerability, life and hope. Something I was not aware of.
The writing style was perfect, thought provoking, compelling and sensitive without being overly emotional or sentimental.
Drawing on the messages conveyed by the author
In the midst of war, we often find courage.
In the midst of profound darkness, we find light.
In the midst of grief, we often find love.
In the midst of tragedy, we often find hope and kindness.Touching, heart-breaking and a story of human resilience and the power of the human spirit. For all those suffering in war, through invasion, and against prejudice you are not alone,
in this broken world"
Rating: really liked it
Believe me when I say I don’t enjoy being in the minority when I review books, but unfortunately this book was very disappointing to me.
This is a story about the plight of the refugees. It follows a Syrian refugee family in 2015-2016, as they leave a war torn Syria and make their way to England. What they encountered in Syria was horrifying. What they encountered on their journey was equally horrifying. This is a story about the heartbreak, destruction and havoc of war and the pain of watching your homeland and your way of life burned, bombed and destroyed. It is the story of being ripped apart from your family and friends, and losing things and people that you hold dearest. Unfortunately, this is also a story that forgets to evoke any emotion whatsoever about any of these issues.
Firstly, I have to say, I might have liked the story a little better, if the writing style was not painful to read. I did not like the author’s overly stylized writing at all. I think she was going for “literary” and “poetic”. I’m sorry to say I felt it was ‘trying too hard’ and coming across as phony. It was almost like the intent was not to evoke emotions in the reader, or raise awareness about important issues, or connect us as human beings of the world regardless of where lines are drawn in the sand and flags are placed. It was as if the intent was to submit this writing for a literary award. But true literature and poetry first and foremost have strong emotional pulls. That’s their whole point!
Secondly, this book was not written in a chronological timeline, which usually is not a problem for me. However, this one lacked any sort of logical delineation, and with so many timelines that appeared completely fluid and a mix of what was real and what was not, it quickly became a mess. We had 3 discernable timelines: The happy past (pre-civil-war Syria), the awful past (civil war in Syria and the journey from Syria to England), and then the present (England); but then we also had various dream sequences complete with sleep walking both in present day and in the past (including a cast of imaginary friends, etc.) and all of this needed complete concentration and attention to the story to get straight in your mind.
Now I’m a pretty serious reader, the pen and notepad by my side kind, the highlighting passages kind. So I don’t usually have trouble with concentration or attention. But if your storytelling and your characters are so dull that they make me pick up my phone to scroll Instagram instead of googling the political topics and the geographical locations you’re talking about in your story, then you can start to see why I’m going to have trouble following your very fluid timelines….
This brings me to my biggest complaint with this book. How can you write a book about such a heartbreaking topic and make your story and the cast of characters this boring? Honestly, at only 300 pages, this was the longest short book I’ve read in years!!! If this book was not selected by my bookclub, I would have DNF even at the halfway point. It took me over a month to read this book. Every time I put it down, I really struggled to pick it back up.
I was pretty outraged by the author’s choices in telling this story. Without spoiling it for you, there is something absolutely devastating that happens to this family in Syria. In flashbacks to the past, the author tells us about everything, except the thing that matters the most. She distinctly avoids telling us about the what and the how of the events related to this devastating incident. Now before you jump up and down and tell me that she did this on purpose, that she didn’t want to tell us about the incident because she wanted to showcase the main characters’ refusal to deal with their emotions related to this trauma, please allow me to say that this is not lost on me. However, in attempting to mirror the refusal of her main characters to talk about the trauma, the author failed to create any connection whatsoever between me and these characters. The story was told in a very cold and detached way, possibly to mirror how trauma could make people feel like zombies, but reading this left me feeling completely empty; I did not feel anything for the characters. I did not understand them. I didn’t really care much. And all of that made me feel awful. How is it that reading one paragraph on Humans of New York’s blog/facebook/Instagram page when Brandon Stanton covers a refugee camp for a couple of weeks, can make me sob uncontrollably while reading 300 pages of this didn’t make me feel anything?
I understand that the author’s time volunteering in Greece and working with refugees inspired her to write this book. I really wish she had written this story to give us more information, more background into what is actually going on in Syria. I understand that many may disagree and say that this story was about the cast of characters and their individual experiences and not about the country and its civil war. I don’t agree. I think both the main character and his cousin and the cousin’s wife as well as what appeared to be the entire population of Aleppo made decisions to leave or to stay and when to leave and where to go and these decisions all depended on the political climate, how fast things escalated, when things happened, when the first bomb fell, how many people died in what kind of timeline… So all of this would have enriched the story, and would have explained their reasoning, their thought process. It would have helped us put ourselves in their shoes. It would have made them more understandable, and would have made for a much more emotionally rich book, AND it would have taught us something. The conflict in Syria is very complex. There is a lot that could have been unpacked here. It seemed like a lost opportunity to talk about the bees and the apiaries for approximately 785 times, and not about what was actually going on around them.
And the bees, the symbolism, gosh… I know this book is about a beekeeper, and of course pretty much within the first 20 pages, you realize the bees symbolize humanity with their vulnerability, their resiliency, their community, etc. The next 280+ pages, and the incessant use of bees for symbolism purposes was an absolute overkill. The comparison of English bees to Syrian bees, the whole novella written about the wingless bee stuck in a concrete courtyard in England.... My God, please put the hammer down! Why do you need to beat me over the head with it? This is not a grade 8 English class!
Another thing that did not help matters was the terrible editing of this book. There were many glaring mistakes that would have been easily avoidable with good editing. I read the electronic version. Perhaps they were corrected in the hard cover? I’m not sure. But they were so unnecessary. Things like people would sit by the window and watch the sunset, then an hour later, would go for an
afternoon walk… Another time, the main character is remembering a party he and his cousin threw for Eid
10 years ago, a feast for their employees in a hotel restaurant. He remembers his wife in a beautiful red and gold abaya, holding their son’s hand and walking him here and there to mingle with friends. Well, a few pages later, it’s 2016 and an officer in Greece asks them for the date of birth of their son and he says January 2009. So ummm math much? These random mistakes were distracting, especially for a pen and notepad kinda reader like me.
I realize I’ve been pretty brutal in my review above. So let me say that the last couple of chapters did get better, and I did like the hopeful note the book ends on. But I’m sorry to say it was too little too late for me.
I picked up this book because my bookclub selected it, but I was excited about it. I was very interested to read a book about the Syrian civil war and the displacement of the millions of refugees and their plight. However, this book was not what I was hoping it would be at all, and left me feeling empty, and underwhelmed. I do not recommend it at all.
1.5 stars.
Rating: really liked it
‘where there are bees there are flowers, and wherever there are flowers there is new life and hope.’ this story was inspired by CLs time working with refugees in athens and you can tell through the emotive writing that this story means so much to her.
i also think she does a good job at balancing the heartbreak and struggle of nuri and afras journey with moments of hope and love. its a good reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of family.
this is a touching story that demonstrates the loud destruction of war and the quiet strength of an individual.
↠ 4 stars
Rating: really liked it
4.5
In 2015, Nuri and his wife Afra from Aleppo, Syria decide to leave their war ravaged country where they suffered many losses ...to make a very dangerous journey through Turkey and Greece with their final destination being England.
The story weaves together two timelines... the journey, and their time in England while awaiting asylum.
It’s very difficult for them to escape the memories that haunt them.
This ended up being a beautiful story!
Rating: really liked it
Once I started reading this, it didn’t take long until I noticed the gorgeous writing.
But then.... there’s more. Always more!
....I wasn’t expecting to feel like a sardine packed inside a refugee camp in Athens...
.....I wasn’t expecting to treasure a little boy’s hope-
Sami- while he built a house out of Legos because he was going to build a house stronger for his family than the one they were leaving.
....I wasn’t expecting to hurt as much as I did.
The realization of how war changes lives forever... is haunting in itself ...
and...
Christy Lefteri gave me a deeper experience of just how true that is.
The direct ways in which Nuri and his wife Afra, experienced the Syrian civil war - reminded me how people who faced bone-chilling horrifying inhumane violence and loss from war,
never need to be reminded “we cannot forget”.
Little scenes were very visual for me.
Before Nuri and Afra, lost their son, Sami, he was in bed at night talking to his father, horrified by the sounds of the bombing...
He was also worried about falling into the water while crossing the rivers and seas.... while escaping Syrian.
“Would the boat tip over?”
Nuri told Sami they’d be wearing life jackets.
I wanted a ‘trip-of-safety’ badly for Sami.
I was frozen along with Afra, who lost her eye sight after losing her only son, Sami.
....I wasn’t expecting to feel SOOO AFFECTED from a book called “The Beekeeper of Aleppo”.
I didn’t want this family to suffer.
But they did!
...Broken...
...so much loss
...Sad...
...Let all refugees tell their stories/ and may I listen.
***Much admiration for the author!
5 strong stars
Rating: really liked it
From its first pages, this book will hit you hard. It depicts Nuri and his wife, Afra, and the disintegration of their life in Syria and their arduous journey to asylum in England. They lost their son to a bomb. Both are suffering from PTSD, although their symptoms are markedly different.
What can I say about a book like this? It is heartrending. It’s beautifully written. It comes across as totally real. But I still struggled with it. It’s very depressing, as you would expect. I had to keep putting the book down and walk away, giving myself time to process it. I loved his memories of the bees the best, those brief glimpses of beauty. It’s incredibly moving, haunting and gut wrenching,
Lefteri knows what she’s writing about. She worked as a volunteer at a refugee center in Athens for two years. As she writes, “The question I sought to answer with this book is what does it mean to see”.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
Rating: really liked it
Who knew bees 🐝 could be so beautiful? The humming, the worker, all caught up in their world of making honey that is likened to gold. So precious.
Such a vivid and tragic story of a couple, Nuri the beekeeper and his blind wife, Afra, an artist. Both making the difficult decision to leave Syria and make the treacherous journey to Britain. The life they are leaving behind - which no longer exists- to the unknown.
The descriptive writing, captivating and heart wrenching. From the dreams Nuri has of his home and past, to the pictures Afra draws.
Lefteri structures her chapters a little differently- but once I got used to it, I loved it.
This is an emotional one. The pain of loss, the beauty of remembering and the tragedy of surviving and finding hope and light again.
A depth of gratitude to Lefteri for writing this through her experiences as a volunteer at a refugee centre in Athens. She has given a voice to these people who have suffered immeasurably, yet have hope to start again.
5++++⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rating: really liked it
What does it mean if we no longer grieve for what we lost? Do we legitimize the things we have lost or broken by holding on to our grief? What does it mean to carry memories?The story begins with
Nuri, the husband and main character who narrates the story, engulfed in the dark grey abyss of his wife’s blind eyes. His wife,
Afra, was left blinded by the war and is left with only her own recollection. But, what does it mean to see? What does it mean to love? Revolutionized by the Syrian Civil War, a war that was not their decision to be involved in or part of, Nuri leaves his apiaries in Aleppo behind and journeys with Afra from Syria to the UK in hopes of obtaining asylum to create a safe and improved future.
Their immigration tale tornadoes a state of mental trauma and emotional hardships that endure homelessness while surviving murderers, starvation, and ethical barriers. Nuri and Afra’s journey from Syria to their ultimate destination is told through Nuri’s flashbacks in bits and pieces. The bees that Nuri often recounts from his life in Aleppo represent the deep metaphorical allegories for their lives, their immigration experience, and the state of Syria.
This story is not about war, but rather the strenuous effects of war on the mind and body.
It contains disturbing content, and I would recommend reading this while in a good state of mind. I would consider this a good novel for this interested in the constructs of culture and the influence of sociology. Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for this copy. Opinions are my own.
For more on this topic:
Syrian Refugee Crisis
Fast Facts of Syrian Civil War
Nonfiction books that I recommend on this topic:
Shatter the Nations: ISIS and the War for the Caliphate by Mike Giglio
Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of Isis by Azadeh Moaveni
In the novel, Nuri and Afra stay at Pedion tou Areos with other refugees. Picture of a migrant camp set up at Pedion tou Areos park in Athens:
Rating: really liked it
What a thought provoking and haunting piece of fiction, beautifully written and the reader does get a horrifying glimpse into the refugee and asylum crisis and the challenges and heartbreak families caught up in this nightmare in Syria have trying to flee to safety.
This is the story of Nuri, a beekeeper and his artist wife Afra and their Journey to safety in England after the situation deteriorates in Aleppo and the sacrifices they make in order to reach family and friends in England. If you are reading this book looking for an insight to the Syrian Conflict and the Civil War in Allepo then this novel will not answer your questions however this is a well written story about the impact that war has on the innocent citizens caught up in the conflict and this is vitally important as here in Ireland where refugees have settled, we need to have an understanding and compassion in order for families to settle and feel comfortable in our community and this is an area which I think governments need to address as sometimes these families must feel so isolated and alone when they arrive here.
The author Christy Lefteri who in the summer of 2016 and 2107 worked as a volunteer in a Unicef funded refugee camp in Athens takes stories and sights from her time there as writes this work of fiction based on fact and what she witnessed while a volunteer there.
The story is beautifully written and constructed in a lovely way which added to my enjoyment in reading the book. (If enjoyment is the right word) The images the author created are vivid and striking and the characters well portrayed.
This book really made me think and about how challenging and terrifying it must be for families to leave behind what is familiar and make this treacherous journey to the unknown and then to gain acceptance and understanding in their new home while they themselves try to come to terms with their grief and loss, it just doesn't bear thinking about.
I was really glad to have read this novel as it is well written, thought provoking and a book that would be wonderful discussion book for book groups as the author has included discussion questions and an author's note at the end.
Rating: really liked it
I think most of us are aware, through vast news coverage, of the thousands of refugees seeking asylum from their war-torn homelands near the Mediterranean Sea, but author Christy Lefteri writes an exceptionally heartbreaking story that brings these individuals to life - their histories, their thoughts, their fears, their hopes.
Lefteri's writing style moved me:
1. that from the first sentence, "I am scared of my wife's eyes," I was hooked!;
2. as she answers, in well-written prose, all the questions I had about the main character, Nuri, his wife, Afra, and their young son, Sami, as I followed them (and others) on their horrendous journey;
3. when she would revert from the past to the present, then back again;
4. the one-word titles of various chapters would end the previous sentence and flow seamlessly to the first sentence in the next chapter; and,
5. for making me feel anger and sorrow at the horrible injustices that these civilians continue to face during wartime, as Lefteri states in her Author's Note "...how these children and families were bearing the brunt of wars they did not ask for."
This story of sadness and loss, of hope and love, really opened my eyes. I'm sure it will do the same for you.
Rating: really liked it
This is a historical fiction book. I love this book so much. It follows a couple leaving their country because it is not safe to stay. So, they go to UK. It shows us how hard the journey is. I have to say that some parts of this book is hard to follow and read, but I think it was written to be hard to understand because the character is having mental health issues. The twist at the end was really good, and I did not see it coming at all. I won an ARC of this book from a goodreads giveaway, but this review is 100% my own honest opinion.
