THE BEEKEEPER OF ALLEPO By Christy Lefteri

Christy Lefteri

Christy Lefteri

Christy Lefteri

The Beekeeper of Aleppo

In the midst of war, he found love
In the midst of darkness, he found courage
In the midst of tragedy, he found hope

The Beekeeper of Aleppo

What will you find from his story?

Nuri is a beekeeper; his wife, Afra, an artist. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo – until the unthinkable happens. When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape. But what Afra has seen is so terrible she has gone blind, and so they must embark on a perilous journey through Turkey and Greece towards an uncertain future in Britain. On the way, Nuri is sustained by the knowledge that waiting for them is Mustafa, his cousin and business partner, who has started an apiary and is teaching fellow refugees in Yorkshire to keep bees.

As Nuri and Afra travel through a broken world, they must confront not only the pain of their own unspeakable loss, but dangers that would overwhelm the bravest of souls. Above all – and perhaps this is the hardest thing they face – they must journey to find each other again.

Moving, powerful, compassionate and beautifully written, The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit. Told with deceptive simplicity, it is the kind of book that reminds us of the power of storytelling.

‘This is a novel of international significance. Courageous, provocative, haunting, it will open our eyes’

Heather Morris, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Quotes from the book :

But in Syria there is a saying: inside the person you know, there is a person you do not know.”

“She looked into my eyes, as if she could see me. In that moment I could see her too, the woman inside, the woman I’d lost. She was there with me, her soul open and present and clear as light. For those few seconds I was no longer afraid of the journey, of the road ahead.”

“Sometimes we create such powerful illusions, so that we do not get lost in the darkness.”

“They communicated without words from the most primitive part of the soul. I remembered her laughing about this, saying that she felt like an animal, and how she realized that we are less human in our times of greatest love and greatest fear.”

“I wish I could escape my mind, that I could be free of this world and everything I have seen in the last few years. And the children who have survived – what will become of them? How will they be able to live in this world?”

“It’s amazing, the way we love people from the day we are born, the way we hold on, as if we are holding on to life itself.”

“It took me years to understand them, and once I did, the world around me never looked or sounded the same”

My review :

A love story that leaves an impact on your mind. Story of Syrian refugees Nuri , a beekeeper and his wife Afra, an artist. Living happily in Aleppo, Syria and then suddenly their life takes a turn. Due to change in events, Arfa losing her eyesight and they travel from Syria to England as refugees to join their friend Mustafa. This book is about the perilous journey embarked by Noori and Afra. Both have lost so much, unspeakable pain and dangers they face in this journey, crossing various countries to reach England. The events that they face emotionally and physically during the journey are overwhelming. Both have lost an emotional connect and their effort to revive each other’s emotion with compassion is extremely touching.

It is one of those book which is emotionally powerful and soul searching. It is a beautifully written story of compassion, love triumph of human spirit. A book that always remains in your memory.

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