The Book Club kicked off the new year with an interesting discussion about 'The Beekeeper of Aleppo' by Christy Lefteri. It was great to catch up with everyone and to welcome two new book club members Gill and Roseanne to our group.
We found the story quite harrowing in parts, though some felt the refugees' journey had been sanitised for the sake of the readership. The multiple timeline was tricky with some criticism, though others felt it was needed to provide light relief from the difficult journey. The vivid descriptions of the beauty of Syria and beekeeping were good points in the story and we agreed the book was beautifully written.
Whilst it was a story we probably wouldn't have chosen for ourselves, many felt they gained a greater understanding of what it means to be a refugee and the difficult choices they face. Teresa neatly linked the possible aftermath of reaching their chosen destination with the WI's modern slavery resolution as many refugees are sucked into this world either on their journey or when they reach their chosen destination.
Scores ranged from 5 to 8 with an average of 7 out of 10.
The next meeting is on Tuesday 9th Feb at 7.30 when we will be discussing 'Haven't They Grown' by Sofie Hannah.