Review by Anne van Oorschot

18.10.2021. The Book Club had such a fun gathering to discuss our latest book, The Beekeeper of Aleppo! There were 10 in attendance, with 1 brand new member and 1 potential member, and all enjoyed drinks and snacks while having an interesting, thoughtful discussion of this good, but difficult book.

While not everyone had finished the book – the subject matter made it a tough read at times – all agreed that having a personal glimpse into the lives of a refugee family helped one to understand and sympathize with their plight. It also brought home the seemingly insurmountable challenges refugees’ face, on top of the massive trauma many have experienced in their home countries forcing them to leave, as well as on their journey to get away.

The “literary trick” of ending a chapter with one word and starting the next chapter with the same word but in a different location cleverly simulated the jolting quality of PTS experiences. Some in the group shared personal stories of people they knew who were refugees or through work with refugees.

As expats, we all know about living far from home, but we are all safe and welcomed to this new home of our choosing. Unlike most refugees, our journey to arrive in the Netherlands was not on foot with a small knapsack of our belongings…a humbling thought that gave us all food for thought.

We also chatted about less weighty issues and chose a Mexican family fairy tale/cook-book/romance for our next book 😊.

Check out our past Book Discussion review of To Kill A Mockingbird.