Stories. Refugees. Review of this wonderfully painful book & everything in between.
The Beekeeper of Aleppo Novel by Christy Lefteri -Beautiful. Painful. Devastating. Real
I have never written a book review or recommendation before. I have a wee list on my website of all of my favorite books (because I LOVE seeing what other people enjoy reading & I also wanted to have a wee space where I share and celebrate all of my favorite books) However, I have never taken the time to write a review or summary- maybe this is because I would usually prefer to talk about books rather than writing about them- almost like my writing would never live up to the writing that lies within all of those incredible books. However, after reading The Beekeeper of Aleppo, I am compelled to write a short review- as an outlet, to share my thoughts and feelings around the book and also celebrate one of the most painful yet inspiring books I have read in a long time.
Anyone who knows me knows how much I adore listening to and connecting with people’s stories. Understanding and feeling someone else’s story has always been the way I connect and feel compassion and empathy towards others. This book gave me all of that and more.
Prior to reading this book, my contact with refugee stories was and still is limited. I have volunteered with the Refugee Council, I ran a half marathon raising funds and awareness around Scottish Refugees, I have listened to people's stories and went along to a few “Cup of Tea with a Refugee” days. However, unfortunately, growing up where I did, I was not surrounded by the refugee experience. Which meant I understood it less. I didn’t fully understand the process, the pain, the loss, the journey, the trauma... Although, sometimes, I think the more I know and understand about the world the harder it is to fully live and be present. Other times I realize that we need to understand everyone’s experience, we need to share stories and hold space for each other. Even if many things are outwith our control, we have control over listening and providing a space for understanding. There is no better feeling than human connection, empathy, and understanding, and I believe that sharing our stories with each other can provide that connection.
I think that might be the biggest benefit I see with technology and globalization today, the access we have to hear other people’s stories from across the world. Before the internet, people and books held the key to connection and people’s stories. However, it was only certain people who read, and without the person sharing their story, it would be lost.
A quote that always comes to mind by Maya Angelou...“There is no greater pain than a story untold”.
I used to think about this quote A LOT when I worked in nursing homes, I would dream about capturing each person’s story as they told me about their life- as a nurse in the war or as an accountant, or even just their feelings and thoughts about the world- they all had so much to share, and I often worried it would disappear.
Fast forward to now we have so much access to people’s stories, sometimes this can be overwhelming, however, there is real power in writing our own history- it is no longer HIS STORY. It is everyone’s story to write themselves. Documenting your story now can be as simple as social media page. Your photo album is collected on Instagram and tells you a story of where your mind and body were at different points of your life (depending on how long you have used the platform) it's like a snapshot of your experience.
Anyway, back to the Beekeeper of Aleppo, reading this book I am reminded of the power of sharing stories. It gave me a real, raw, painful depiction of a refugee's journey- from living a joyful, happy normal life in your safe home country to fleeing to the terrifying unknown experiencing extreme grief and loss along the way.
I can’t quite put into words the emotional journey I went through reading this book. I mostly read at night before bed, which can often lead to me dreaming about what I read. I would wake up with their stories in my mind. Each chapter left you feeling both devastated and hopeful. You feel grief and pain for their loss and hope for them to find a better life- whatever that better life means. The book depicts the impact of trauma and loss in such an impactful way. It shows the determination of human life and the power of hope. You experience waves of different emotions reading it- but ultimately you are left with a deeper understanding of what the refugee experience may entail. The journey and the destination.
I think the book is profound in so many ways. I think that everyone should read it. Especially people in society who have prejudice and preconceived ideas about refugees. It should be a required reading. There is no way to get out of feeling true compassion and kindness after reading this book. Although if you are already a sensitive empath (where I would put myself) take your time with it and understand there might be moments where you need to take a pause.
The most important takeaway, I feel, is that when we live in a country, (Scotland) that welcomes refugees, understanding their experiences more can only add new layers of compassion, openness, and humanity. The news and media desensitize and dehumanize the refugee experience often causing more division than unity. This book creates an in, and understanding that can transfer and creates human connection, kindness, and love.
Also, the last thing, I have to mention, as I am super biased. I absolutely ADORE BEES. I have drawn them everywhere since I could pick up a pencil, I have loved their wee fluffy bodies, and their buzzzzzz since I was a wee girl. So, I think I was overly keen to read this book and overly devastated to read what happened to their lives as well as their glowing, lively apiary.
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