THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO

The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a heart-wrenching novel that opens our eyes to the refugee crisis through the story of Nuri, a Syrian beekeeper, and his artist wife Afra. THANK YOU to Random House for the advance reader copy of this powerful story. In it, this couple who have lost absolutely everything - including Afra’s eyesight in an explosion - must travel a dangerous path to healing and safety. Will the price they pay break them, emotionally and physically? Or will their suffering be worth the price of eventual sanctuary?

This novel, based on the author’s work at a refugee center in Athens, personalizes the Syrian refugee crisis in a way that no news article can. It brings to light the daring leaps of faith required of refugees everywhere, as well as the trust in humanity necessary to survive. If the inescapable sorrow and grief in the pages felt at times overwhelming, I think that may have been the point. Readers will leave this book filled with greater understanding, deeper compassion, and appreciation of the courage to hope.

Pictured here is ka’ikeh b’ah’sal, or honey cake with sesame glaze, from the Syrian-Jewish cookbook A Fistful of Lentils. Friends, I am here for ALL the gooey, sweet tahini, and this cake is loaded with it. I was so moved reading about Nuri and his bees - isn’t there something so fascinating about beekeeping and the art of making honey? Lately I feel like all of my favorite recipes call for a bit of honey, and this one was no exception - though I’m sure there’d have been more cake if I hadn’t eaten so much of the batter!