Summary and Reviews of The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

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I am scared of my wife's eyes. She can't see out and no one can see in. Look, they are like stones, gray stones, sea stones. Look at her. Look how she is sitting on the edge of the bed, her nightgown on the floor, rolling Mohammed's marble around in her fingers and waiting for me to dress her. I am taking my time putting on my shirt and trousers, because I am so tired of dressing her. Look at the folds of her stomach, the color of desert honey, darker in the creases, and the fine, fine silver lines on the skin of her breasts, and the tips of her fingers with the tiny cuts, where the ridges and valley patterns once were stained with blue or yellow or red paint. Her laughter was gold once, you would have seen as well as heard it. Look at her, because I think she is disappearing.

"I had a night of scattered dreams," she says. "They filled the room." Her eyes are fixed a little to the left of me. I feel sick.

"What does that mean?"

"They were broken. My dreams were everywhere. And I didn't...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. What did you like most about this book? Were you most drawn to the characters, the writing, the emotional storyline, or learning about a different culture, for instance? Which character did you feel more emotionally connected to—Nuri or Afra—and why?
2. What about this book surprised you? Did you learn anything about the Syrian refugee crisis that you hadn't previously read in news stories?
3. Why do you think the author decided to have Nuri narrate the story instead of Afra? How would the book have been different if it was told from Afra's point of view?
4. Each of the characters processes grief and trauma differently. Afra is literally blinded by her grief and Nuri can't seem to accept the reality of his situation. Why do you ...

Please be aware that this discussion may contain spoilers!

Here are some of the comments posted about The Beekeeper of Aleppo in our legacy forum.
You can see the full discussion here.


After finishing the book, describe how you felt in one word.
Emotional. I think this is likely the most accurate because I was feeling so many different emotions at once. I also had a difficult time putting into words how I felt about this book and needed to sit with my thoughts for a day before I could ... - Brittany P.

Are there any other books on immigration that you'd recommend? Are there authors whose writing style you find similar to Lefteri's?
America For Beginners by Leah Franqui - djcminor

At the end of the book, Afra says to Nuri, "You think it's me who can't see." What do you think she means by that? Do you agree?
Afra is blind - she cannot see people's faces, the color of the sky or the path she walks on. But Afra can see what has happened to her child and what they must face in the future and how the war has affected Nuri. Nuri can see everything around ... - carolf

Do you think Mustafa influences the decisions Nuri makes throughout his life, and if so, how? Why do you think Nuri doesn't contact Mustafa as soon as he arrives in England?
Mustafa introduced Nuri to his true passion. Without running into Mustafa randomly one day, they may never have connected with one another. Mustafa represented potential and the discovery of new dreams. The two worked closely together in Syria, ... - acstrine

Each of the characters processes grief and trauma differently. Why do you think that is? What role, if any, do you think gender plays?
Everyone processes grief differently but like scribbling scribe said the ability for one to express it might be inhibited by one's culture and expectations within that culture. I think gender can play a role in some cases. Like in the case of the mom... - momo