Christy Lefteri: The Beekeeper of Aleppo (May 2024)

Christy Lefteri wrote The Beekeeper of Aleppo inspired by her experience of volunteering in refugee camps in Athens.

The story is related by Nuri who, with his wife Afra, has been forced to to flee Syria. We learn of their life in Aleppo, a happy and productive time with their son, Sami and their occupations, he a beekeeper with his cousin Mustafa, and she an artist.

All this comes to an end with the civil war which destroys their home and Sami and Mustafa’s son is killed. Mustafa and his remaining family escape to England but Afra is reluctant to leave. Sami’s death by a bomb dropping in their garden has resulted in her losing her sight, a Medically Unexplained Symptom, also called Conversion Disorder, caused by severe trauma.

Eventually they have no choice but to escape. Syria is in ruins and the danger is too great. Fortunately, they have managed to hold on to their money and passports, but they still have terrible hardships and perils on their journey and they and the other refugees face squalor and appalling hardships. The camp in Athens where they are trapped is vividly depicted.

Nuri and Afra place themselves at the mercy of completely unscrupulous people smugglers and a small mistake has dreadful consequences for Afra. Nuri manages to keep in touch with Mustafa who is making a life in the UK and getting back into beekeeping through forming a network of interested people. This helps to give them the strength to continue and they get to the UK but face the bureaucracy of applying for refugee status.

We have become aware that Nuri is on the verge of a mental collapse and the book tackles the affect that suffering, loss and constant fear has on people. Struggling with the very basics of survival leaves little room to deal with emotional strain.

Towards the end of the book Nuri and Afra, reunited with Mustafa, begin the healing process both individually and as a couple, coming to terms with the death of Sami and putting their fractured lives back together.

An image of a key runs through the story, symbolic of a having a door to open and to close, representing home and security. The bees symbolise community and working together to create something worthwhile.

The use of the first person and the non-linear narrative are very effective in this book, allowing the story to unfold in a deeply personal way that brings the reader close to the characters and all that they endure.

We discussed how people seek to create a new home and opportunities when they have lost so much and we admired their courage and resilience. It left us considering that a different approach to helping refugees is needed. There are, for example, many moribund villages and towns throughout Europe that could benefit from families bringing in new life.

It was suggested that this moving and compassionate book should be on the school syllabus and awarded it 5/5.