The Beekeeper of Aleppo

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.

Go for it

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 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 1/2 ⭐️ 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 !

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.

Beautifully written. Very moving. Highly recommended.

The grammar is sooo bad. You can’t even get through the book and follow the storyline. I had to force myself to keep picking up the book. Not worth it at all.

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.

Great read