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areadingstan's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This novel follows the arduous and traumatic journey that a family takes from Syria to the UK. They flee from war and hope to find peace. Nuri was a beekeeper in Aleppo and is hoping to join his cousin Mustafa in the UK where they will both continue to care for bees. His wife Afra has become blind from the trauma the war brought to their family.
The narration jumps between the present (where Nuri and Afra are in the UK and going through legal processes) and the past (the long journey from Syria to their destination). The chapter transitions between the different time periods was a beautiful detail. In fact, this whole novel is beautifully written and extremely moving.
I had to pick this up and put it down a few times, and found I couldn’t race through it like I usually do when I’m reading a really good book. This is because of the heavy content within it; I just wouldn’t have been able to absorb everything if I’d read it in a few sittings.
Though this book is technically fiction, Lefteri has said the stories and characters within it are based on the lives of real people she met in Greece when volunteering at a camp for refugees. She has used a fictional model to talk about a very real and important issue, and I would encourage anyone to read this book if they think they’ve internalised the media’s negative narrative about refugees and asylum seekers, or if you just want to learn more about what they have to go through to find safety, which is extremely unjust.
What Lefteri sought to find out in the novel was ‘what does it mean to see?’, and she shows us through both Nuri and Afra’s stories that there are different ways of being blind and also different ways of seeing. I won’t expand more as I don’t wish to spoil it.
This book broke my heart and stitched it up again, word after beautiful word.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Grief, Murder, and War
Moderate: Rape
tiasy97's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Murder, and War
Minor: Rape and Self harm
beablop's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Rape and Trafficking
marthamorgan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Murder
toomie_12's review against another edition
challenging
dark
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
I won't lie had to read the opening chapters 2x to understand fully what was going on but this is definitely a book I would recommend to everyone. The way it told the main characters story and how it is a story so many refugees also share made it so saddening. Be prepared!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Genocide, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Murder