Pakistan, 1974. Hassan is almost fourteen. With his mother’s failing sight, father and son go to the forest to collect black honey to cure her failing sight. But the black honeybees don’t like to share their honey. They’re wilder. Nevertheless, Hassan vows to get it to save his mother’s sight.

The government puts more restrictions and banning different traditions. It’s a dangerous time, when the government is seeking spies.

The chance for Hassan to have a better life is to further his education. The scholarship is his mother’s dream, but not Hassan’s. He wants to stay with his mother and take care of her. Nevertheless, the mother convinces him to go and to become a professional and this way helping his parents.

While studying, he meets the governor’s niece visiting from London, and his world is shaken.
Will he stay in Pakistan and keep his promise or go to London?

The story has an endearing aspect of love for family and wanting to take care of them. It has a good pace. Hassan is a likeable character, but I never got really attached to him. I wished his character was better developed.

As a first novel it was ok but not great for me. I struggled to get into the book as it lacked a real link with the characters and couldn’t relate to the storyline of the characters with the bees. Thanks anyway to Siya, her publisher and NetGalley.

I had such a hard time getting into the book as it right felt right out flat to me. I enjoy books that make me feel, and this book just didn't set out any emotions for me. Characters were under developed, if any - seemed there were only a couple of them mentioned here. The characters were not relatable and the representation of their culture was deficient. The use of Muslim words were made of no reference. The cultural background just lacked anything related to what it was supposed to be about. The author also lacked descriptions - so it was hard to picture what the characters looked like, what they were wearing, and what they were feeling. I felt so detached that I just ended up not finishing the book.

Set in Pakistan The Last Beekeeper is a beautiful story of finding hope. Its a slow burn read but is full of interest. Hassan is tasked to find the last beekeeper in order to save his mother's sight. Its a wonderful journey he goes on to help her. I enjoyed the descriptive narrative of the woods and how and why they were forbidden to go there. I enjoyed this book.

Whilst I did enjoy parts of this book and it had a nice writing style to it I just found the storyline was a little lacking and I found myself waiting for something more to happen but it never did.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really melodramatic and flat. I had so much trouble just simply even getting into the book, but I hate leaving unfinished books, so finish it, I had to.The whole mood was serious and somber and there were barely any emotions (excepting that one scene at the end that made my throat start hurting). Literally, there seemed to be only 2 characters: Hassan and Maryam. We could make a case for Mir Saab, Kulsoom, and the Chef, but honestly, the only two characters that even seemed to be alive were Hassan and Maryam. Hassan was too mature and serious for a 14 year old, but even so, maybe we could accept it because he often has to be the one looking out for his dad and taking care of him instead of the other way around. (He would make a better 18 year old or something; the book description is really misleading too, it makes him and Maryam seem older). The attraction he has with Maryam also: I don't know, it just made everything seem so much more mature. Why was she the only one to see his true self, why could no one else see when he was hurting? Which brings me to her: I don't know why, but Maryam kept coming across as a flirt. She kept touching Hassan unnecessarily, and also felt too mature. At the way they came across, they might as well have gotten married.

Also, this book was supposed to be about Pakistani Muslim characters, but it just seemed so lacking. There were a few Urdu words, but not as much to be considered "Pakistani-rep". There was also no reference to actual Muslim vocabulary, like instead of saying "prayer rug" or "beads" or something else like that, I would've liked the words to be said in their original manner. The descriptions were so lacking; instead of talking about Hassan's "waistcoat", use the actual word, and describe what the people at the wedding were wearing instead of just saying that they were wearing nice clothes or just saying nothing at all.

While the first 50% of the book could put anyone to sleep, the latter half picks up a little more speed, but even so, everything seemed to be drawn out so much when we could've finished the book chapters ago. There's only three things I guess that I actually liked about the book:

1. Mir Saab, Hassan, and his father's affinity for nature
2. The ending, or more so, the decision of Hassan's choice. Not the other thing that happened and made my throat tight.
(Oh, and I also liked Sami, but she barely makes an appearance, so, half, I guess?)
3. This one scene that was so relatably funny:
"The distant family came in, one by one in a line, each wearing a chiffon scarf hanging loosely over her hair and smiling and giggling like schoolgirls without a teacher. Once seated, the head of the line said, ‘Dupattas off.’They removed their scarves and all of them smiled until one of them screamed, ‘There’s a boy in the room!’Hassan nearly choked on a biscuit –his third. Elbows bumped into other elbows as chiffon was flung back over hair. Giggles squeezed through multi-coloured veils. Heads were lowered and raised again to sneak a look at him. ‘Why are they…?’Maryam began. ‘Whenever there’s a boy…’Amina said. Hassan started to cough. ‘I’ll wait in the library.’He picked up a leaflet and waved at them before he slipped through the door, dodging the shower of giggles behind him.
They removed their scarves and all of them smiled until one of them screamed, ‘There’s a boy in the room!’ Hassan nearly choked on a biscuit – his third. Elbows bumped into other elbows as chiffon was flung back over hair. Giggles squeezed through multi-coloured veils. Heads were lowered and raised again to sneak a look at him. ‘Why are they…?’ Maryam began. ‘Whenever there’s a boy…’ Amina said. Hassan started to cough. ‘I’ll wait in the library.’ He picked up a leaflet and waved at them before he slipped through the door, dodging the shower of giggles behind him."

This was a descriptive book. You could feel the buzzing of the bees. I enjoyed the story but couldn’t help but feel there was a hidden meaning within the story. Perhaps we should be like the bees and all work together.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Beekeeper, set in Pakistan in 1974 stars our main character Hassan who'd like to help his mother from losing her sight by finding the last beekeeper and the mystical and magical black honey as a cure. He wins a scholarship to study with the state governor in Karachi where he also meets Maryam.

This story was so beautiful and well written. It took a while for me to get into it due to the slow pacing of the plot but nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed the lines of poetry in the books.

Another great element of the book is the political intrigue of that period in Pakistan where conflict was constantly present which also brought concern for the safety of his mother and the disappearance of his father.

As a South Asian, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and really appreciate the representation it gives my community. This was a great read and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, magical elements, political intrigue, family dynamics, and a love story.

Hassan must take up where his father failed - he must go into the forest for the black honey for his mother's eyes. But there are new laws forbidding going into the forest. And then he meets a young woman from England who invites him to join her in a new life. Hassan must learn to use his head or his heart to guide him.

The Last Beekeeper is an absolutely beautifully written novel about different loves.

There is a line with Hassan’s love for her mother. He is ready to break rules to prevent her mother from loosing her sight in a search of the mythical black honey.

The other love is for the woman from London, who he falls for when he moves to study in Karachi. Hassan has to face a difficult choice between family or relationship. Will he choose his mother or Maryam?

This is a really amazing read about love, family with a Pakistani background. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to read a well-written novel.

Hassan's Choice

Hassan has always loved the forest and his village of Harikaya in Pakistan. When his mother's eyesight fails he and his father go into the forest to find the black honey which will heal her eyes. It ends as a disaster and his father is taken away by guards for breaking the law and going into the forest when it was forbidden.

Hassan knows he must go into the forest and get the black honey for his mother before he rains come. The bees are calling to him, however, he wins a scholarship to study with the state governor in Karachi. While he is there the bees keep calling to him, but he meets the governor's niece Maryam and has a chance to go back to England with her and study.

Now he must choose, his mother and the bees or England and Maryam. Which choice will he make? Will he find the Beekeeper and the black honey and save his mother's sight or leave his village for a different life.

This is a story of a boy with a magical pull toward the bees and the forest. It is also the story of a boy's first love . He is a young person conflicted with his feelings and responsibilities. He doesn't know who to trust, his father is missing and he has no one to confide in other than his new friend Maryam.

Conflict is brewing in Pakistan and he is concerned with the safety of his mother, but his heart pulls him a different direction. It is a story of coming of age and of finding his way in life.

I liked the telling in the words of Hassan, reading of the customs of the Villagers in Pakistan and in the city. The description of the countryside and the forest was such I could experience the pictures in my mind. I could see the squander in the city. I could feel the hum of the bees in the hive . This is a beautifully written book.

I really enjoyed reading this story and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Siya Turabi, Harper Collins, U.K. One more chapter and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy of the book for my honest review.

Do you ever dream of becoming one with nature? The coming together of everything around you in perfect harmony. The soft buzzing of bees, the hexagonal and spiral shapes found throughout nature and your life. If you pay close enough attention. Softly drawing you into the world of the bee. A world of magic, mystery, and dancing. Siya Turabi brings the inner workings of the bees and their hive to life, through a young Pakistani teenager, Hassan, in the book The Last Beekeeper.

Hassan is an intelligent, caring, brave soul, who wants to do right by everyone in his life. He looks up to his father and wants to follow in his footsteps as a poet and harvester of honey. His mother's eyesight is deteriorating, due to glaucoma. Nothing they have done so far, has been able to save her sight. The only thing left to try is the magical healing powers of the black honey. It is only found in the depths of the forest, where legally no one is allowed to go. Due to the governor's laws or so the villagers are made to believe.

I was completely enraptured with the background story that was entwined with the mystical black bees. The turmoil that is brought on by the changes and greed that the Prime Minister is putting forth, is felt throughout Pakistan, and is an undercurrent running throughout the book. The Governor and Hassan have many discussions on how to improve Pakistan and linking it to what the bees would do if put in this situation. It is a fascinating tale of love, family, and the forces of nature. The only issue I had with the book were the in-depth descriptions of what was occurring within the hive, I tended to drift off a bit. Thank you to Siya Turabi, Harper Collins, and One More Chapter for this enchanting ARC.

This was a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish with a great storyline, interesting cast of characters and all capped off by skilful writing.

This is the story of a boy and a country struggling to find their place in the world. The boy must choose between country life with his mother and an international life with romantic love and education. The country, Pakistan, has to decide between freedom and tyranny.

While the story was good and interesting at times, I struggled to connect emotionally with the characters. I didn't feel like I ever knew them well enough to be invested in what happened to them. I am not well versed in the history of Pakistan and felt I didn't get enough in the story to truly understand what was going on.

This isn't a bad book but it isn't a great book either. It is family friendly.

‘I am a friend of the bees. Like you.’
‘So, you have been waiting for me?’
‘The forest has been waiting for you.’

The forests outside his village in Pakistan have always lured Hassan. His quest to find the last beekeeper and the mythical black honey before the floods come, is born from the urgency to prevent his mother from losing her sight. As her glaucoma progresses, Hassan is willing to break promises and local laws.

A keen student, he wins the scholarship and furthers his studies in Karachi where he meets the governor’s niece, Maryam, from London and falls in love. Again, Hassan faces difficult choices. Does he choose Maryam and England or the beekeeper and Pakistan? You’ll have to read to find out!

This is Siya Turabi’s debut novel – one she began at 40 years old! It’s never to late to follow a dream! I fell in love with her lyrical writing, her vivid descriptions and her tale of family and friendship as well as her love of nature and the expression of its magic. Hassan’s story is set in 1974 in Harikaya village, Pakistan amidst growing political tensions.

Publishes August 19, 2021.

I was gifted this advance copy by Siya Turabi, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I did not finish this book. I could not get interested in it at all. I made it about one-third of the way through it and have no idea what it is about. Not for me but thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy.

I received a free e-ARC through Netgalley.
This story is set in Pakistan and is told from the POV of a teen boy Hassan who is desperate to find the honey of the black honeybee to save his mother's eyesight as glaucoma sets in. The story has a lot of magical elements and sort of a fairy tale feeling at times as poetry and the bees envelop Hassan as he searches for his missing father and the cure for his mother. I did enjoy the way the story and the magic flowed together into one cohesive volume despite not normally being a magic lover. There is something magical about nature that weaves us together.

Siya Turabi’s debut, which she started at age 40, is magnificent! I love the main character, Hassan, torn between finding Black Bee honey to preserve his mother’s eyesight, or following his new love, Maryam, to England.

Descriptions of 1974 Pakistan are so vibrant that you feel the tension of political intrigues, contrasted with the cool dark forest where healing honey is found.

Relationships and nature are at the heart of this compelling story, which grabbed me from the first. A lovely offering, perfect for a long summer’s day spent in a hammock.

5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 19 Aug 2021

Thanks to the author, HarperCollins, UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.

This book started slow but it quickly had me enraptured. I loved the variety of characters with Hassan making a wonderful main character. The author created a beautiful story that covers love, family and the importance of nature. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the bees. The setting in Pakistan was unique and enlightened me on some of the countries history. This book reminds me of books by Khalid Hosseini, poignant and heartwarming.

Hassan is a strong character even though he is just a teen and he is so eager to learn everything he can while constantly thinking of his Amma and Baba. The lure of the elusive Black Bees is always there and I love how the author entwined Hassan and the bees. The entire book teaches how we can live together peacefully and how important nature is too us.

Simply a beautiful story that had me reading it until 3:30 in the morning. Thank you to One More Chapter for inviting me to read this poignant story.