The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Leftrei
I finished this book last night and I can’t decide what I thought about it 🧐
I haven’t read a book like it. It is raw, sad and eye-opening. It’s not a comfortable read. I found myself dreading what awful things I was about to read about. I am glad it wasn’t graphic, and that some atrocities were left to the imagination.
There is so much explored in this book – not just their journey from Syria to England, but the PTSD, the effect the death of their son had on them, and the role family has. This is not a light-hearted book, but a good one!
I don’t think I warmed to any of the characters, and I would have liked a chapter or two written from Afra’s viewpoint. This is a story that rings true of many, and I felt much empathy for their struggle, heartache and scary conditions. They had courage, they lost so much but kept going, and yet I didn’t find them likeable.
I didn’t love this book, but it kept me hooked. It opened my eyes and has left me with lots to think about.
3 out of 5