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BOOK REVIEW - THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO

Christie Lefteri's bestselling novel, drawn from her volunteer work with refugees is beautifully written – a sensory experience, a visual feast, bringing to life a story that could be repeated 1000 times by those who have fled their war-torn homeland.

 

The tension created from the chaos and violence in Aleppo in Syria's Civil War intensifies as Afra, the beekeeper's wife is pressured to leave her home by husband Nuri. The fear of facing a dangerous and uncertain journey to an unknown country, in her darkness, is a nightmare she is not willing to take.

 

A centrepiece to the story is their relationship, described in part by Nuri on page 20.

 

"But when she was sad my world was dark. I didn't have a choice about this. She was more powerful than I. She cried like a child, laughed like bells ringing and her smile was the most beautiful I've ever seen. She could argue for hours without even pausing. Afra loved, she hated, and she inhaled the world like it was a rose. All this was why I loved her more than life."

 

The author skilfully creates characters with depth, set in a vivid movie of their perilous journey. However, we are spared detailed descriptions of the violence. This understatement adds power to the narrative.

 

The story is carefully crafted, often creating confusion as the narrative moves from present to past and back again - rather disorientating. However, while I initially found this process frustrating, it immersed me deeper in the emotions of the characters. The final stages became increasingly blurred, uncovering the central feature of the plot.

 

This haunting tale of grief and hope exposes us to the agony and heartbreak of refugees - confronting, inspirational, a triumph of the human spirit.



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