The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a heartbreaking story of a Syrian couple fleeing war to seek a better life in the United Kingdom. It presents a stark look at the reality of war in Syria and the horrible conditions faced by refugees as they attempt to escape.

Alternating between the past and present, you follow Nuri and his wife Afra through their refugee journey. Lefteri’s writing is rich, full of beautiful metaphors and yet achingly realistic. I was constantly struck by Nuri’s resilience, even as everything was falling apart around him.

This book will tear your heart apart. I had seen the news reports of refugees fleeing the terrible situations in their homes countries, but it is another thing all together to read about it from the point of view of a refugee. While Nuri and Afra are not real, Lefteri did her research to portray the situations they would face. I highly recommend prioritizing this one.

TW: death of a child; depictions of war; violent death; allusions to rape