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There’s a beauty to Christy Lefteri’s prose that binds us to The Beekeeper of Aleppo from the very first page. Beautifully rendered, it’s a tale of our time, the refugee’s story, of the struggle to triumph over the greatest of adversities, of the search for light in the darkest of places. Lefteri, herself the child of refugees, was inspired to write the book after speaking to displaced Afghani and Syrian survivors of conflict in Athens. The result, a book that is a haunting exploration of courage in the face of unspeakable loss.

Protagonists Afra and Nuri, artist and beekeeper, are forced to flee their beloved Aleppo when war breaks out and their lives are devastated. They begin the terrifying journey from their homeland through Turkey and Greece to Britain, where Nuri’s cousin has taken refuge, uncertain of what awaits them.

A poignant and heart-rending look at the refugee experience, The Beekeeper of Aleppo gives face and voice to those too often dehumanised by the media and dismissed by society. More than that, it’s the story of two people struggling to get back to each other, of the possibility of love and hope in even the most debilitating of circumstances.

An extraordinary book. A powerful book. We defy anyone not to be moved. Highly, highly recommended.

 

Christy Lefteri | The Beekeeper of Aleppo | Manilla Press | paperback | £8.99 |

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Acknowledgements: This review is published as part of the virtual book tour. Many thanks to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for organising it, and to the publisher for sending a review copy. Image is from the author’s website and is used for promotional purposes only. All opinions are our own. All rights reserved. Please check out the other reviews on this tour.

See also: ‘Killing Beauties: there ain’t nothin’ like a she-spy’;  ‘Doug Johnstone’s A Dark Matter’;Nora Roberts’ Sanctuary: an Old Familiar’; Carver’s Nothing Important Happened Today’; By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept’; ‘Yvonne Battle-Fenton’s Rememembered‘; ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised‘; ‘We should all be feminists‘; The not-so-invisible woman: 150 greats in their own words’; ‘How Penguin learned to fly – Allen Lane and the Original “Penguin Ten”‘; Dorothy L. Sayer’s Busman’s Holiday – Romek Marber for Penguin Crime (book covers we love).

This review is © 2020 by The Literary Shed. All rights reserved. All opinions are our own. We welcome your feedback and comments. If you wish to reproduce this piece, please do contact us to request permission. Any images are used for promotional purposes only. If we have unintentionally breached your copyright, please contact us and we will take the image down immediately. Thank you so much.

 

 

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