The Beekeeper of Aleppo was written by Christy Lefteri and published in 2019.
The Beekeeper of Aleppo has been on my TBR (to be read) pile for a while now after I saw it was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick in 2020. It was also winner of the Aspen Words Literary Prize.
When I saw Christy Lefteri had a new book coming out later this year, I decided it was time to read her debut novel.
Brought up in London, Christy Lefteri is the child of Cypriot refugees. The Beekeeper of Aleppo was born out of her time working as a volunteer at a refugee centre in Athens.
Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
Plot
Nuri and his wife Afra live a simple life in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo. Nuri is a beekeeper and has created a life and job he loves, surrounded by family and friends. When their lives are destroyed by war, Nuri and Afra are left with no choice but to leave their home.
We follow their journey as they head to the UK for a safer life. The journey is not just a geographical one. It is a journey to find each other again, and the people they once were, before unspeakable tragedy destroyed their family.
The Beekeeper of Aleppo Book Review
The Beekeeper of Aleppo is not an easy read. The story is told with simple language and isn’t full of pretentious prose. What makes it so hard to read is the subject matter. A topic such as this is always going to feel bleak at times and I did find it heavy going in places.
This is the second book I’ve read this year about seeking asylum as American Dirt was one of my February reads. Although American Dirt was heartbreaking and solemn, it was also a fast-paced, heart-pounding read. The Beekeeper of Aleppo in comparison is slower-paced as Christy Lefteri takes the time to show us the beauty of pre-war Aleppo and then the devastation, both physical and psychological, that follows.
The story is such an important one, as we read about the atrocities citizens of Aleppo are subjected to. The decision to leave and potentially face further dangers is never an easy one. It’s a tale of trauma, fear and injustice, however, there are glimmers of hope throughout.
I struggled to form any kind of emotional attachment to Nuri and as the story is told from his viewpoint, I felt slightly detached from his experiences. The telling sign that something was missing for me, is the fact I didn’t cry. I cry at everything! But I just didn’t connect to the characters as much as I wanted to. I empathised with the characters but still felt an emotional disconnect. I felt I needed to read the book out of a sense of moral obligation to understand the plight of the refugees, rather than actually enjoying the story.
An important read but not a favourite of mine.
What to read next
I would definitely recommend Christy Lefteri’s other novels, particuarly Songbirds and The Book of Fire. I actually preferred both of these books to The Beekeeper Aleppo.
For another perspective on people seeking asylum, I’d recommend reading American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins.