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! The author has deeply researched the lives of this family who are fleeing as Syrian refugees. She has worked herself as a volunteer at such a refugee camp. The intimate novel is both terrifying and touching. It reminds us of our capacity for love empathy and hope. From the beginning it is gripping and poignant, it reminds us we cannot turn away from what is there, a refugee crisis. There is a love story in the heart of the book which Lefteri writes it as deftly and gorgeously as she pens even the most devastating war scene. She writes lyrically and poetically using every word to its fullest extent. The book represents the greatest gift of fiction and inspires empathy in all directions.
Ros Plested, Book club