What a touching, tragic story! The beekeeper of Aleppo is Nuri, who with his cousin Mustaffa is a keeper of bees. When the Syrian civil war begins, they are initially not touched much by it, buy then it moves closer. Syrian forces are brutal, Islamic State forces even more so, and people are dying. Nuri's wife Afra, an artist, has seen things so terrible she has become blind. When the horror touches Nuri and Afra directly, Nuri realizes that they must escape. First Mustaffa leaves, then Nuri and Afra follow, hoping to reunite in England. But the way out of Syria is full of danger and corruption and deceit, and many do not make it.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo tells us of Nuri and Afra's physical journey out of Syria, but also their mental and emotional journey, which is even more daunting. The book is moving, and strips the cover off the desperation, brutality and danger involved in getting to safety. The book alternates points of view which sometimes makes it a little confusing about where in time the characters are, but it truly exposes the plight and complexities of those fleeing war and conflict. The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a must read book.

“What does it mean to see?”

Christy Lefteri asked this question working on her first novel “The Beekeeper of Aleppo.” A daughter of Cypriot refugees, she was drawn to volunteer work for a UNICEF-led refugee center in Athens. The people she worked with wanted to tell their stories despite the language barrier, and she became a witness to suffering. She talked of children drawing pictures of the terrors they witnessed. Lefteri put flesh and bone on subjects like post-beekeeper of aleppo covertraumatic stress disorder, the impact of the war on a country and its people, as well as the harrowing plight of the refugee.

From the first page, I felt like I was reading the personal journal of beekeeper Nuri Ibrahim. He and wife Afra were in limbo. They were stuck between terror and safety as they waited to see if they would stay in England after their long journey from Aleppo in Syria. Nuri and Afra went from Aleppo to Turkey, to a Greek island, to Athens and onto England. Nuri's thoughts moved between past and present as he began to process all he and Afra have been through. He sometimes made me forget they were “safe” in a B&B in England. Just like Nuri, I’m still processing this thought-provoking tale. I’m not able to quote from the book since I can’t check it yet with a finished copy. But some things I’m still thinking about:

Lefteri’s writing style -- The first time a word stood out in the chapter I thought I might have a Kindle glitch. I opened the table of contents and saw there was one word in each chapter that led to time-traveling in Nuri’s mind. I was reminded of epic poetry.

The Chinese concept of Yuanfen -- Nuri explained this was a symbol on his mother’s red fan. I wrote down – “something that bound two people or things together.” I searched on the web and found an example: Two people were brought together, but something made them part ways and they lose touch. Years later, chance brought them together again and this time they fell in love. (Reminded me of Jane Austen’s Persuasion (Anne Eliot and Capt. Wentworth), I think also of Austen’s novel, Emma (Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax). I could see this working in Nuri and Afra’s relationship. Yes, they were still married, but tragedy reshaped them. They had different reactions to their catastrophic losses. They became untethered from each other, made strangers in the process. It’s like she became a visible reminder of the loss of the son she bore them, Sami.

Afra lost her sight when Sami died. I kept waiting to hear about how this happened. Nuri became her eyes and ears. Afra would demand he tell her each day what he witnessed even if he didn’t want to tell her. At different points, Nuri thought how he could end Afra’s life so she wouldn’t endure further pain. Lefteri created an effective way to put the reader right there with Afra in the darkness. At the same time, I was a witness with Nuri as he described the horrors all around him. Boys lined up near the river and killed. A child playing outside gunned down for sport. It wasn’t long before I realized Nuri had post-traumatic stress disorder. Lefteri gave small hints where Nuri became an unreliable narrator with the clues coming from what other characters could see that he couldn’t. That meant I couldn’t be sure whether some things were real or just in Nuri’s mind.

What bees and hives mean to Nuri – Nuri’s cousin Mustafa was a professor at Damascus University, but he also followed his father and grandfather into the beekeeping profession. He invited Nuri to become a beekeeper because he saw a sensitive soul who had the personality and character to care for them. The hives produced ingredients that Mustafa and daughter Aya would come up with beauty products to sell in her store, “Aya’s Paradise.” Spoiler alert: The war and unrest in the country eventually led to vandals destroying the hives. Mustafa’s wife Dahab and Aya leave the country before he does because he doesn’t want to leave the beehives. When he left, Mustafa wrote a letter to Nuri to follow him. Mustafa and Nuri are both passionate about their work as beekeepers. The sound of bees brought peace to Nuri. His livelihood came at the sacrifice of his own father’s happiness. There were forces binding Nuri together Mustafa that helped propel him forward. He called upon his memory of the bees and the hope of new life ahead as he and Afra journey in treacherous areas. Despite people scoffing at his desire to go to England, Nuri pressed on.

The meaning then of the wingless bee at the B&B – Nuri found a flightless bee that he said would not survive. She was kicked out of the colony. He allowed her to sit in his hand and set her on a flower each night. He would check on her and lift her from the flower each day. The act reminded me Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.” Hazim, a Moroccan man at the B&B, made him a beautiful gift of a wooden plank with places that held flowers so the wingless bee could live there. I felt that Hazim understood Nuri’s broken places. The B&B worked not unlike a hive in that the people worked together to survive and thrive as they waited for word about their requests for asylum.

Thank you to Netgalley.com and to Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review this advanced reader copy. I will never think of refugees the same. I have always liked stories that give me a literary passport to other times, countries, languages, and cultures. Those stories have taken me down new pathways in my mind and soul as the author’s imagination connected with mine. I could see this novel in a multicultural literature course where current events would enhance discussion. “The Beekeeper of Aleppo” comes out August 27, 2019. For more information, go to: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608250/the-beekeeper-of-aleppo-by-christy-lefteri/9781984821218/. For a good description of Yuanfen, go to https://www.ozy.com/acumen/theres-a-word-for-relationships-written-in-the-stars/72132.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo

A solid 4 star story of Nuri and his wife Afra as they sort out their lives in war torn Aleppo, Syria. You will become attached to the characters in this novel very quickly.

Nuri’s cousin Mustafa has taught him all about beekeeping, and not wanting to follow in his father ‘s footsteps, Nuri takes to beekeeping immediately. The bees, beehives and all Nuri knows about his life in Aleppo get left behind. They must leave.

There are many scenes where fantasy blends with reality for Nuri as he struggles to cope and make his way to a new life with Afra. Being blind, the road to change is not a simple one for Afra either.

Hopefully, you will have a better understanding of the refugee situation going on in today’s world, with the hardships, losses and unknowns these transitory travelers suffer, as they reach out to have what we all want: love, safety, food, peace and family.

Sincere thanks to #Netgalley and #BallantineBooks/RandomHouse for an ARC of this title

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Nuri and Afra have a simple life in Aleppo, raising their son Sami. Nuri is a beekeeper with his cousin Mustafa and Afra is an artist. When war comes, Mustafa leaves Syria and urges Nuri to do the same. Nuri stays, until the situation becomes unbearable and they suffer an unthinkable loss, that leaves Afra blind. The rest of the book is about the journey to England and freedom, alternating chapters in the asylum process in England and the journey that led them there. We all hear the news about the army of refugees tracking through Europe from Syria, Afghanistan, Africa. This books gives a human picture of what it takes, the people they encounter, both who try to help and those who take advantage of them. According to the author’s note at the end, she was a volunteer for a UNICEF supported refugee center in Athens and what she saw there inspired her to write this book. It’s a story that has to be told, a look behind the headlines.
Overall a great read, 4-5 stars. I took off one star, because I had a little trouble following where the events took place, especially in the beginning.
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri is a moving book about the refugee experience, told in two timelines that show you how Nuri and Afra are living in a b&b for asylum seekers in England, starting with how Nuri lived as a beekeeper in Aleppo while Afra was an accomplished artist. This book gets dark, but at the very least you know that Nuri and Afra made it to England. Using words that trigger memories, leading to the timeline switch in the storytelling, we find out more about who Nuri and Afra were before the conflict in Syria pushed them to leave their home (and bees), as well as the familial connections that motivate them to not only leave, but to aim for England instead of easier asylum destinations. Their journey out of Syria is told alongside their journey of applying for asylum, parallel stories of how whether you leave something or lose something, it affects you either physically or mentally. I found myself staying up to finish this book, even though it really felt bleak at times. I know they make it to their destination, but the cost is far more than I thought it would be. I appreciate how Lefteri made sure to highlight how the refugee identity is diverse, not just with the languages spoken but what motivated them to leave their homes. It is grim, but it is still hopeful.

A beautiful refugee story of hardship, grief, loss, and determination, <i>The Beekeeper of Aleppo</i> reminds us that a little humanity can go a long way.

Born from Lefteri’s experience working at a refugee center in Athens, the story centers around the journey of Nuri and Afra Ibrahim, a married couple fleeing war and oppression in Syria in hopes of reaching the UK.

Lefteri pens a story reminiscent of Hosseini’s <i>The Kite Runner</i>, and you can’t help but be pulled into the fear and grief of the young couple. Before they can leave Syria, tragedy strikes, and Nuri and Afra are left with a grief they could never have imagined — which shapes their journey out of Aleppo in heartrending ways.

My only complaint with this story is that it centers around the first-person narration of Nuri Ibrahim, but much of the plot takes place after he’s left his blind wife (either in their boarding room, on a blanket in the middle of a park, or at their home in Aleppo) alone to fend for herself while he walks around thinking or meeting people. Afra can hardly dress herself, and Nuri’s continued indifference toward his wife’s care really bothered me. I would have loved for this story to be from her perspective, or even a few chapters sprinkled in that told us more than Nuri’s perspective.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story, and my heart ached for Nuri and Afra. A perfect read for fans of <i>The Kite Runner</i>.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Zaffre for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nuri is in heaven. He has always wanted to be a beekeeper. Now in Aleppo his dream has come true. His cousin, Mustafa and he have a successful business raising bees, cultivating the honey, and discovering new ways to implement honey in everyday items. Happiness abounds, families are happy, their in paradise. Then with the flash of bombings and the war, everything is destroyed. Both families lose their sons. They are forced to immigrate to the United Kingdom.
The trials, heartbreak, trauma of mind, body and soul are enough to make anyone give up. The hope of a better life, and the soft humming of bees will give them the strength needed to survive.
A rich and powerful story. Magnetic, doesn't let you go until the final page.

Life in Syria was sweet for beekeeper Nuri and his wife, artist Afra until war broke out. Together the two make their way across a war torn country, through Turkey and Greece, hoping to find a new home in England. This is an incredible story, heartbreaking and timely and should be read by every person who has any question about why victims of political upheaval and ethnic cleansing need a safe refuge

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing / Ballentine Books for this arc.

This was a heart-achingly slow read for me, but yet a WONDERFUL read.

This is the story of Nuri and Afra, Syrian refugees / asylum seekers. Their losses were total and unimaginable. Their journey to England horrific. The physical, emotional and mental deprecations were near total. And yet, the found the determination to struggle on and complete their journey.

Just gut-wrenching and well worth the hours and hours it took me to complete the read.