Sandpiper: May - July 2020

JULY 2020 | SANDP I PER 18 NURI is a beekeeper, as gentle as his bees and his wife, Afra, an artist. They are blessed by a son, Sammi. They share a passion for beekeeping with Nuri’s cousin, Mustafa, who escapes to the Uk from the violence of Syria. Against this backdrop Nuri and Afra escape being murdered in their home to begin the refugee trek through Europe. This beautifully crafted novel is told from the eyes and mind of Nuri as aspects of his story are recollected along the journey. The story is as disjointed as his rambling mind. The pain and suffering they both endure shows the strength and fragility of the human spirit. The refugees they encounter along the way also reveal a level of human anguish that shows the true cost of being displaced from your homeland and loved ones. And yet amid this there is hope, shining through the years of struggle and powerlessness. Hope that they will survive and find Mustafa and hope that Mustafa would “take me to a place where the bees sang”. A hope kept alive by infrequent emails from Mustafa. As we form a closer connection to Nuri he confides to us that he is at breaking point. “There was too much in my head now, there was no room for more”. We can’t help but wish for metaphoric honey to heal his troubled mind and restore him to health. He comes out of a place often biblically called the Land of Milk and Honey, the land of Moses, and makes his way to another Promised Land. For Nuri, when in despair, the Promised Land had “become a picture infused with golden light a paradise never to be reached”. We wish this couple the best of promises; health, happiness and harmony. Our wish for all refugees who seek our shores. Christy Lefteri’s own life experiences; being the daughter of Cypriot refugees, and working as a volunteer at a UNICEF supported refugee centre in Athens, add an authenticity and compassion that is invaluable to the truth telling in this work of fiction. This novel is hauntingly real and its insight will cast shadows and light over your heart. Book Review: The Beekeeper of Aleppo, Christy Lefteri By Jenni Greblo