48 pages • 1-hour read
The Beekeeper of Aleppo
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Book Club Questions
General Impressions
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of death, child death, and rape.
Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. Discuss your emotional responses to reading The Beekeeper of Aleppo. Which scenes, characters, or conflicts were most resonant for you?
2. Did you identify most with Nuri, Afra, or Mustafa? Which elements of their characters were most relatable or sympathetic?
3. Have you read any of Christy Lefteri’s titles, such as The Book of Fire, Songbirds, and A Watermelon, a Fish, and a Bible? What narrative or thematic crossovers do you notice across Lefteri’s catalog? Alternatively, have you read other works that center on the Syrian refugee crisis—e.g., Omar El Akkad’s What Strange Paradise? How would you compare this one?
Personal Reflection and Connection
Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.
1. The marble serves as a memento of Sami. Do you have any treasured possessions that remind you of lost loved ones? What comfort do you find in them?
2. The novel explores themes of trauma and memory. How do Nuri’s, Afra’s, and Mustafa’s positive recollections help them overcome their traumatic experiences? How do their relationships with the past relate to your own?
3. Explore the significance of beekeeping to Mustafa’s character. What about beekeeping is integral to Mustafa’s identity and survival? Do you have a similar connection to a pastime, hobby, or vocation?
4. The novel is set in 2011 during the civil war in Syria and also touches on other sensitive subject matter—e.g., rape. Did you find it a challenging read? Did you feel it handled its subject matter appropriately?
Societal and Cultural Context
Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.
1. How does Lefteri use the temporal and political backdrop of the Syrian civil war to explore the universal effects of war?
2. Syria’s changing climate is a subtle but recurring motif in the novel. How does the novel comment on the impact of climate change—particularly its role in driving conflict?
Literary Analysis
Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.
1. The novel is written from Nuri’s first-person point of view. Explore how Nuri’s perspective dictates the novel’s themes, conflicts, and stakes.
2. Compare and contrast Nuri’s and Afra’s responses to the tragedies they experience. What do their responses suggest about their characters and their relationships to their home?
3. The novel is set across multiple continents. How does the novel’s changing geographical backdrop affect the narrative mood and atmosphere?
4. Bees are a motif throughout the novel. Discuss the symbolic resonance of this recurring imagery. What do bees mean to each of the characters?
5. Water imagery pervades the novel. How do repeated images of water provide insight into the characters’ experiences?
Creative Engagement
Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.
1. Imagine that the novel were written from Afra’s instead of Nuri’s point of view. Discuss how the narrative conflict, stakes, and themes might differ if the narrative were shaped by Afra’s consciousness and voice.
2. Imagine that you are adapting The Beekeeper of Aleppo into a film. Whom would you cast in the leading roles? How would you structure the film, and which scenes, characters, or conflicts would you change?
3. Create a collage that captures one of the primary character’s journeys over the course of the novel. Consider how Nuri, Afra, and Mustafa each process their migration to England and how they interact with their environments along the way. Consider also how Lefteri uses color and light to evoke the characters’ emotions. Share your collages and discuss why you chose each image.
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