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This is a story of Syrian refugees Nuri and Afra and their journey to find asylum in the UK. It was well written but the format of the dual timeline threw me off at times of what time frame I was in. Usually that doesn‘t affect me but honestly the story was just not keeping my interest and I started skimming just to get through. There was nothing in the story that made me want to read more to see how it ends. Just blah for me 😕

This is the story of Nuri and Afra who we initially meet in the UK as they await their asylum hearing. From there we go backwards, to Syria where war rages on.

I really liked how the author showcased PTSD throughout this story, its an aspect that doesn't get much attention but an important one in the refugee experience.

Another book shining a light and giving a perspective that we don't see reflected in current media.

The story alternates between two timelines: the present and the past.

In the present, Nuri and Afra, a Syrian couple, seek asylum in England. Afra, once a prolific artist, is now blind, and Nuri fears for her well-being. They stay at an English bed and breakfast, awaiting their asylum interviews. Lucy Fisher, a social worker, assists them in the process. The past timeline reveals Nuri‘s life before the war. ⬇️

A fictional story about a Syrian refugee couple making the perilous journey from Aleppo to UK. I liked the comparison with bees and beekeeping, and the bond between the protagonist and his cousin. But overall the story didn‘t sit well with me. First, because the female protagonist has no voice and her helplessness was frustrating. Second, the author writing this story in first person feels inauthentic given her own background. Overall, so-so.

A heart-warming story of human resilience and tragedy. Beautifully written narrative. I found the structure difficult to follow as was disjointed. This was frustrating at times and I lost track of the plot.

The exploration of the relationship between husband and wife was very tenderly written, despite the obvious emotional distance between them.

This story made me appreciate life and not to take it for granted.

Gorgeous read about resilience and love through the eyes of Syrian refugees. Christy Lefteri uses prose that gives beauty to even the most desolate circumstances and settings.

I throughly enjoyed this book. It‘s a very moving tale and beautifully written. It‘s just an amazing story, amazing characters and one story I will never forget. An Eye opener

The story of a Syrian couple's journey to the UK as refugees.

The author obviously wanted to bring attention to the plight of refugees and it is an important story but I felt publicising the issue got in the way of the story so that it wasn't as engaging as it should have been.

#coffeeandabook

I wanted to like this audiobook, but didn‘t connect with the characters. Maybe I will try it again some other time in a different format. #FoodAndLit #Syria

I wanted to enjoy this more than I did.
It was hard hitting and emotional, but I didn't find it as gripping as I wanted to.

It's the story of a Syrian couple escaping Aleppo to get to the UK away from war. As you can imagine, it's sad but it's just missing something.

Heart wrenching and beautiful writing, with vivid descriptions that come to life. A devastating and thought provoking look into how messed up the world is and the redemption of hope.

I love that this book was inspired by the author‘s work w/ refugees. It was exhausting to read, but I think that communicates a tiny portion of how exhausting it must be for real refugees torn from their lives. I loved the descriptions of beekeeping & thought the twist added a great depth to the story. Nuri and Afra‘s relationship was beautiful. Both the distance that grows between them & the moment of connection where they found each other again.

Book 5

I read this for a book club. I was drawn in by the first sentence but disappointed by the pace and lack of focus. The novel is about Nuri's family's experience fleeing war in Syria.The story isn't told linearly, and that wasn't obvious initially. The end saved the book: everything came together and had some surprises. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Good book. Hard in my heart

I listened to this one via my library app.

Pretty interesting

3.75/5

Read for:
#RWDC2022TBRChallenge
#2022TBRTakedown
#TheDisneyReadingChallenge2022
#PopSugarReadingChallenge2020

Caught up with a friend yesterday after that couple of years. We had a lovely day doing (shock, horror) NORMAL things - talked a lot of rubbish, went to the immersive Van Gogh exhibition (v cool!), lunch by the river, ate vegan ice cream, found jeans that fit…

Look what she brought me 😍

#bookmoods #4wordtitle

Pulled from my tbr pile.

A story to keep coming back to... the storytelling, the characters and the events are compelling to say the least. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

Such a moving story, so beautifully written. It really opened my eyes to the extreme difficulties faced by refugees.

Not my favourite book. I have trouble connecting with literary fiction and I just wasn‘t able to finish it.

28 Oct-2 Nov 2021 (audiobook)
The story of Nuri, the titular beekeeper, and his wife‘s flight from Syria after their son is killed by a bomb.
Well-written and well-meaning, but I was not as enamoured as many other readers. I disliked the disappearance and abuse of children in the refugee camps - such depictions often seem somewhat exploitative. The issue of who has a right to tell these stories and whose voice is authentic is quite problematic.

This book is a heartbreaker. And it is so many peoples stories from Syria, from Somali, from Afghanistan, as refugees who lose family members and the love between marriages because of the trauma they have to move through first. I struggled to witness the grief between this couple at many moments of this book, but found them compelling and I couldn‘t help but have hope for them to find their way back to each other emotionally all along.

just finished the beekeeper of aleppo and let me tell you, it‘s fascinating in a horrific way. the story had me in trance from beginning to end and never once got boring. it‘s an eye-opening story that tells the struggles and horrors refugees have to go through in order to just survive, definitely a must read for everyone! (but especially for people who fail to understand why helping refugees is so so important and the only correct thing to do)

I have finished reading #bookspin number 15.
Beautifully written,but sad.
Ready for number 13.
@thearomaofbooks

My#15 pick for September #DoubleSpin!😁

@TheAromaOfBooks
@PhyllisH

Thank you for this @Caroline2 !
Nuri and Afra are refugees from Syria, newly arrived in the UK and hoping to be granted asylum. I could call this book a necessary corrective for the headlines and rhetoric with which we are encouraged to harden our hearts against one another, but that would be to do CL a disservice. She hasn't written a polemic but a damn good story: compassionate, profoundly sad, hopeful.

A fictional depiction of a very real problem. I have to admit this book was very difficult to read while knowing similar situations are happening in Afghanistan and other areas right now. This book helps readers to get a somewhat deeper understanding about what it means it see.

A beautiful and heart wrenching story of a couple's journey from Syria to England.

Excited to start this book. I've read so many good reviews 🤓😊

My latest addition! 🥰 BOTM for July! 😁

Wow! This book was amazing.

Finally after a year and a half my favorite Friends of the Library bookshop opened and I got a great haul.

Afternoon break with a treat, coffee and a new book!

A heartbreaking story which starts off in #syria and tracks Nuri and Afra's journey as they try and reunite with Nuri's cousin.
I listened to this on #audio and enjoyed the narrator as well who lent authenticity to the telling.
#readingasia2021

Utterly heartbreaking and very poetical written. And country‘s like mine allow this to happen.

Listning to my audiobook whilst doing some painting 🎨📚. So relaxing.

2020 in books wasn‘t the shittiest year of reading. 💝

Starting this one today, and making a list of books for my next library order since the weather outside is frightful. Have you read it? What did you think?

It starts a bit slow but getting better. It also becomes sadder along the way. It is sadden that such kind of world actually exists and without doubt we are the lucky ones.

Enjoyed. Easy read.

Absolutely heartbreaking in the best way. Must read

The audiobook sometimes made it difficult to understand what was going on, but it was well done. Beautifully written story full of heart. It‘s a glimpse into the stories of refugees that needs to be shared.

“He speaks with the enthusiasm of a child again, but I can detect an undertone of desperation. I know him, and what he is really saying is this: this is how the story must end; our hearts can bear no more loss.”