The Beekeeper of Aleppo

The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a realistic novel written by Christy Lefteri and published in 2019. Lefteri spent time working at a UNICEF refugee center in Athens, and this experience informs the novel’s account of a Syrian couple’s dangerous and often horrifying journey as they flee the civil war in their country. The sensitive and compassionate story portrays the emotional and psychological trauma of losing a child and other harrowing events. It is also a thoughtful exploration of the importance of love and home. The book has received several awards and has sold over half a million copies.

Plot Summary

Nuri, Afra, and their young son Sami are residents of Aleppo. The family’s existence is thrown into turmoil by the civil war in Syria that breaks out in 2011. The couple lose their child to a bomb and Afra goes blind through the trauma. Nuri suffers psychological and emotional trauma which leads him to delusions that a boy like their son is with them. Nuri and his cousin, Mustafa, were once successful beekeepers, but Mustafa left Syria when his son was killed by soldiers, and he shot men himself in retaliation. Mustafa eventually reaches England, where he waits for Nuri. Nuri and Afra flee Syria once their own lives become endangered, travelling through Turkey and then two Greek islands, where they witness terrible events and suffering. Afra is raped by the smuggler who arranges their flights from Athens to England. Once in England, they are given lodging in a seaside town while undergoing the asylum application process. Nuri is diagnosed with PTSD, which has caused him to suffer delusions, flashbacks and panic attacks. The couple gradually become estranged, despite their journey together, and each ends up isolated by their own suffering. Eventually, Afra’s sight returns, and the couple are reunited with Mustafa. They begin to feel hope for the future.