The Beekeeper of Aleppo follows the journey of a Syrian family when the country falls to war. A beekeeper and successful businessman, Nuri and his wife Afra must seek safe passage on the refugee trail across Europe. Those who complain about migration and refugees should pick this up and read it to see some of the truth of a struggle that exists solely for our belief in pointless borders and walls. In the end, this is a story of humans, and of how we treat one another with flabbergasting cruelty,

A thought provoking, beautiful but haunting story of Nuri and his wife Afra. I liked the way the story weaved back and forth through different time zones.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zaffre for a digital review copy.

This is a well written, thought provoking and heart breaking story. I confess that despite seeing images of the Syrian bombings and images of refugees travelling across Europe, I knew very little about their plight.

This is not a relaxing read, tackling many difficult subjects but I would be happy to recommend it to anyone age 16+.

Thank you to Christy Lefteri for bringing Nuri, Afra and their family to life. The descriptions of life in pre-war Aleppo are beautiful. The story moves seamlessly backward and forwards in time.

What a hauntingly beautiful story.

It’s the tale of Nuri, Afra and their son, Sammi who live in the city of Aleppo in Syria

The horrendous war breaks out and when a young man dies, they are encouraged to leave Aleppo and travel to England. Afra won’t leave, as this is her home, but tragedy strikes when a bomb drops close to their home.

This is their story of their journey from a devastated home to England...heartbreaking and harrowing, but also story of love and hope. This will stay with me for a long time.

I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review

#NetGalley #TheBeekeeperOfAleppo

This wonderful novel sheds considerable light on the journeys, emotional and physical, made by those fleeing their country of origin and seeking refuge elsewhere. Nuri, the narrator of this tale, has had to leave his beloved Syria which has been destroyed by war. In Syria he worked alongside his cousin, Mustafa, running the family beekeeping business. Mustafa escaped Syria before him and has now reached England where Nuri hopes to join him along with his wife, Afra, an artist who has lost her sight during the war. The novel tells the story of Nuri and Afra's journey, switching time and place between Syria, Turkey, Greece and England, the narrative using memory, imaginings and e-mails to recreate the horrors, fears and tensions of the journey alongside an exploration of the ways in which the traumas experienced in Syria have affected the two main characters. During the course of the journey Nuri and Afra encounter other refugees and characters who may or may not be trusted to help their journey. I have personally worked with refugees and believe that Christy Lefteri has written a powerful, honest and relevant book which I sincerely recommend as both an excellent read and and a remarkable insight. In addition to the content and narrative I really appreciated many of the stylistic devices used by the author and the way in which she could bring humour and love into tragic and traumatic stories. I received a complimentary ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Galley in return for an honest review.

I was only 1/3 of the way through this book when I knew I had to buy it in real terms (as opposed to kindle) for my husband. I really enjoyed the story and now appreciate the struggle people make to reach safety which made addictive reading. However I felt some parts had been a bit sanitised and I was left wanting more detail. This book has left me thinking about the immigration situation with new eyes, for which I am grateful.

This book is beautifully written
The plot weaves it way throughout the book. The topic is hard to read but it’s an amazing book which will stay with me for a long time

Slow start for me but the wow. I stopped half way through and reminded myself that this story is so very true for many fleeing war torn countries. It wasn’t a heavy book for those wanting a summer read but was amazing. Easy to read, based on truth. Thanks net gallery, Christy Leaferi and publisher.

This book is going to divide people. On the one hand, it is a simplified story of a family desperate to escape their home country and continue their lives in safety. On the other, it is a tiny glimpse in to the horrors that other humans are experiencing right now in the real world.

The detail of their former life, before the destruction, was a little scant for me as I really wanted to feel a connection to the characters, but still it is a simple read with one thread running through it. We are all the same, we all try to protect our loved ones, we all take risks for others.

Yes, a message being forced on us but a much needed one. This will make a great holiday beach read...

A beautiful, haunting book for all humanity. The desperate plight of Syrian refugees Nuri and Afra shows the people behind the headlines, the boats and the camps, subjected to appalling conditions and their story is written so tenderly yet so starkly, it’s a lesson in the tragedy of our times.

Thank You to NetGalley, Christy Lefteri and the publisher Bonnier Zaffre for letting me read thia book.

I am not sure what to make of this read. It was good, interesting and powerful but I found it hard to get into the first time and had to start it again. Having done that I still found it an awkward read, I think this might of been because the chapters were really long and the story seemed to go on and on aand on without many breaks and the chapters were long. Despite all of this it was a good read and I am glad I got a chance to read it

Following the footsteps of refugees from a war-torn country

Nuri Ibrahim, his wife, Afra, and small son Sami lived in a one-bed bungalow on a hill overlooking the city of Aleppo. He had four beehives in the garden, and the rest were in a field on the outskirts of Aleppo, thirty miles away. Nuri used to wake early, before the sun, before the muezzin called out for prayer and drive to his bees. He would arrive as the sun was rising when the fields were full of light, and the humming of the bees was a single, pure note. His job was to care for the bees, nurture them, monitor the hives for infestations or poor health, build new hives, divide the colonies and raise queen bees – to keep them healthy and strong while they fulfilled their task of making honey and pollinating the land to keep the people of Aleppo alive. Nuri was the right man for the job because he had a sensitivity that most men lacked; he understood the rhythms and patterns of the bees, he listened to them and spoke to them as though they were one breathing body with a heart.


But the political situation in Syria was getting worse, and one night, late in the summer, vandals destroyed the hives by setting fire to them, and when Nuri and his cousin Mustafa arrived there in the morning the bees had all died, the field was black and the humming of the bees was replaced by silence – a deep, never-ending silence. When Sami was killed by a bomb, Nuri knew that it was time to leave and he and Afra set out on a terrible journey that took them to Istanbul, Greece and eventually to England where they are claiming asylum.


The author writes with a deep understanding of the horrors of refugee camps and the journey that steals your soul – leaving everything you know and hold dear to venture into the unknown, not knowing if asylum will be granted or not. I can fully identify with the characters as my family were also refugees, but we were fortunate that our journey was not as harrowing as Nuri and Afra’s plus I was too young to remember the horrors and my parents made an excellent job of shielding me from them as much as they were able. I just found the transition from present to past in the book a little confusing at times, hence the four stars and not five. But a book that I would definitely recommend to anyone!


Saphira


Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

This is an extremely moving story about ordinary people being caught up and emotionally destroyed in the consequences of war. Set in both Syria and the UK it is one family’s story that overlaps with other families and friends that have experienced similar devastation.
The Beekeeper of Aleppo is Nuri who was in partnership with his cousin Mustafa, they lived quite an idyllic peaceful life at one with nature. Afra, Nuri’s wife was an artist and they had a small son Sami. When war came it was brutal, devastating and took far more than their business. The terrible atrocities and loss were too much for Afra to deal with, she could not bear to witness any more horrors and lost her sight.
They were left with two choices, stay and be murdered or flee to another country. The story follows them on a perilous journey through different countries until they finally reach the UK. They meet other people on the journey who have similar stories to tell. One of the biggest fears is losing touch with their families so wherever they get a chance of an internet connection they use it.
Beautifully told, loved the little bee story too that ran alongside this one. A ‘refugee’ bee kicked out of its hive. Just a little help can make all the difference.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

Everyone who does not understand what the Syrian refugees have been through should read this novel. Powerfully written, it follows Nuri and Afra's journey to the U.K. from their home city of Aleppo. Intensely moving.

Thank you to Christy Lefteri, Bonnier Zaffre and Net Galley for my ARC. So very moving. We only see the images placed in front of us on TV or social media. We don't ask questions or wait to hear the answers. Who would take on such a ravaging journey if there wasn't a good reason? Everyone has a story, everyone has feelings, it's just that we don't get to hear them first hand. Except now we do. Moving, heart-wrenching, and very, very human.

An exquisitely beautiful piece of writing, this book has to be book of the year for me. I expected the book to be difficult to read due to the complex subject matter but the story flowed effortlessly. Heartbreaking and enlightening I cannot praise this book enough and I feel the story will stay with me for a very long time.

Thank to Net Galley and Bonier Zaffre for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
I am sorry to say I was finding this book slow and laborious and I have unfortunately abandoned the read which is very unlike me.

This is a haunting and beautifully written book highlighting a family's journey from war-torn Syria to the United Kingdom. Nuri, a beekeeper in Aleppo, and his wife, who has been blinded by a bomb, are both grief stricken when their son dies, but they are determined to leave their country in search of a better life.

There are tragedies on the way to their final destination and the writer uses all her skills to make the reader feel the experiences - the characterisation is superb.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review the book which my book club is now reading.

The author has used her experiences working in a refugee camp and her own family history to write a heart-breaking novel full of anguish, despair and human tragedy. It is also a novel about bees, flowers, new life and hope. This novel leaves vivid pictures in my mind and sadness in the heart.

“Cause of death – This Broken World!”

May we mend this.

Nuri and Afra Ibrahim are a bee-keeper and an artist respectively, living a simple life in Aleppo. When war breaks out, Afra loses her sight and all is destroyed, they must find their way through the unknown, across Turkey and Greece, hopefully to a better life in Britain.
Beautiful, moving story highlighting the reality of life behind the news.