Reading The Beekeeper of Aleppo left me with so many mixed emotions. It is not an easy book to go through, but it is a necessary one. Nuri, a beekeeper, and his wife Afra take us on their painful journey from Syria to Europe, showing the human face of the refugee crisis that often gets reduced to numbers and headlines.
As I turned the pages, I kept thinking about the unimaginable weight carried by refugees. Losing homes and loved ones to war is already devastating, yet the suffering does not end there. On their way to safety, they are forced to face the ugliest sides of humanity, human trafficking, exploitation, women being assaulted, children being separated from their parents, and even refugees being murdered for their organs.
At times, I had to pause and breathe because the imagery was so vivid and disturbing. What horrified me most was the thought that these aren’t just fictional events. Many of these stories were based on accounts that the author heard while volunteering in refugee camps in Greece. It is terrifying to think that some camps, which should be places of refuge, are instead grounds for exploitation.
The novel speaks powerfully about trauma, grief, and resilience. PTSD is not just mentioned, it is felt in the silences, in Afra’s blindness, in Nuri’s fragile grip on hope. The war doesn’t end when they cross a border; it continues to live inside them.
As I read, I couldn’t help but think of today’s refugees in Gaza, Sudan, and so many other parts of the world. Some conflicts receive international coverage, while others are forgotten. But the pain of displacement is universal. As a mother, the thought of children being separated from their parents shook me deeply. May Allah protect them and all of us :(
Christy Lefteri’s writing is both beautiful and haunting. She moves between the past in Aleppo and the present journey with such clarity that I was never lost, only carried deeper into their memories and pain. The perspective of a beekeeper adds a layer of symbolism, bees as life, fragility, and community, a reminder of what was lost and what still might be rebuilt.
Having read a few historical fictions on war and refugees before, I could sense where some parts of the story were heading. But that didn’t take away from its impact. What made this book stand out was the way it wove real voices and testimonies into fiction, making it feel authentic and necessary.
This book disturbed me, moved me, and made me reflect long after closing it. It is a reminder that refugees are not just statistics or “others,” but people with hopes, fears, and dignity, people who have endured both war and the exploitation of those who prey on desperation.
The Beekeeper of Aleppo is not a light read, but it is an important one.
I would recommend it to anyone who wants to better understand the human side of displacement and survival.
I rate the book 4/5 as it's a beautifully written and powerful book that captures the refugee experience with honesty and compassion, though at times predictable in its plot.
The book is available for grab here :)
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