53032388._SX318_SY475_From Goodreads: ” In the midst of war, he found love
In the midst of darkness, he found courage. In the midst of tragedy, he found hope. What will you find from his story?
Nuri is a beekeeper; his wife, Afra, an artist. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo – until the unthinkable happens. When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape. But what Afra has seen is so terrible she has gone blind, and so they must embark on a perilous journey through Turkey and Greece towards an uncertain future in Britain. On the way, Nuri is sustained by the knowledge that waiting for them is Mustafa, his cousin and business partner, who has started an apiary and is teaching fellow refugees in Yorkshire to keep bees.
As Nuri and Afra travel through a broken world, they must confront not only the pain of their own unspeakable loss, but dangers that would overwhelm the bravest of souls. Above all – and perhaps this is the hardest thing they face – they must journey to find each other again.
Moving, powerful, compassionate and beautifully written, The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit. Told with deceptive simplicity, it is the kind of book that reminds us of the power of storytelling.“

My Review

Wow what a heartbreaking but powerful audiobook!

The story of Nuri and Afra escaping the civil war in Syria, and their journey across Europe to find his cousin Mustafa in the UK really was heartbreaking. They really didn’t want to leave but had to if they wanted to survive. Aleppo the city they lived in was destroyed by the bombs and fighting so there was little food and water. They had no choice but to leave and take a very dangerous journey trusting strangers for help and to be smuggled.

As the story progresses I learnt more about Nuri and Afra’s marriage and want was wrong with it, but I didn’t find out until near end why they behaved the way they did.

The descriptions of Aleppo before the civil war were wonderful, which made the situation even sadder. It made me think about all the people who have had to leave over the years and also the fact that the media don’t seem to be reporting about it any more.

The writing was so amazing that I kept forgetting that this was a work of fiction and not a true account of Nuri and Afra’s journey. In fact I had to Google a few times to make sure!

Art Malik’s narration was absolutely superb. I especially loved the way he voiced Nuri, who’s story was told through flashbacks and in the present time, while he waited to be granted asylum. The emotion he put into the characters was fantastic, I wouldn’t hesitate to listen to another book narrated by him.

I highly recommend this if you enjoy fictionalised accounts of true stories.

If you want to know about the book and how it came to written, checkout the book’s website and this interview on YouTube with the author.

Thanks to Zaffre for my copy of the audiobook via the titleShare app