Learner Spotlight: Summer Book Club Explores “The Beekeeper of Aleppo”
This summer, the book club at the Literacy Council met for three sessions and tackled the heartbreaking story of Christy Lefteri’s The Beekeeper of Aleppo. It was a fictional account of a husband and wife who as refugees from Syria experienced the horrifying circumstances of war, and yet maintained hope though their personal resilience, persistence, and their beautiful love for each other. (Words that students used to describe the book.) Lefteri, a child of parents who were refugees themselves from the Cypriot, draws upon personal experience to profile her narrator, Nuri who experiences post-traumatic stress from losing his son to a bomb, suffering over his wife’s blindness, and enduring the terrible situation in Greece where refugees had no recourse to law and order. A refugee herself, Lefteri understood the difficult world that refugees and migrants navigate. Her own father suffered from post-traumatic stress. Lefteri’s prose reads like poetry and she brilliantly writes with such sensitivity that she can reveal difficult ethical questions that confront our characters. She invites her readers to open their hearts and minds to understanding the agonizing circumstances that refugees find themselves in.
The summer book club met on Zoom and the students and tutors engaged in lively discussions on the many aspects of this award-winning book. We were fortunate to have a huge turnout of students and tutors. Members of the Book Club included the following students: Leopold A., Nicola B., Esther M., Minerva C., Julieta L., Seojun P., Nadia T., Y Rhee, Jamila T., Natta S., Jacqueline B. Maria V., Erica Z., as well as these tutors: Marlene F. and Lisa G. O’L. Jamila T. shared her PowerPoint presentation about her home city of Aleppo and its beauty and grace, so students got the unique perspective of life in Syria before the calamity of war.
The students were very moved by Lefteri’s story and found belonging to the book club a great learning experience. Minerva C. had this to say:
“My only knowing about the Syrian was through the news. I was sad and in prayer for that country, whose people had to relocate to other countries to save their lives for many years. 
However, through this reading I have learned about the life in Syria. Not just the horrible and evil that war can be, which I now know it was more difficult and harder than what they present in the news. But also, how much life, love, and care there is between the people who love each other. I learned about their daily families’ routine at home, at work, at neighborhood, at markets. She presents us the harsh reality of what is still happening in Syria, but also in many other countries around the world.
“All war is caused by human selfishness. This novel moves me to think about how different life could be with more love, empathy, and consideration for others. Because we were created to love and be loved. So, this book moves me to be a better person, always be grateful to God for my life and everything I have and sharing my riches with others. I would like to thank you for this great opportunity you have given me to participate in this book club. I learned and enjoyed it a lot.”
If you are wondering if the Book Club is your level or not, one of our Book Club members Seojun P. had this recommendation:
“At the beginning of the book club, I felt this was not my level. I thought I had to learn more English in another class. But unconsciously, I was learning a lot from my clubmates and mentors in the book club. Above all, it was their passion. Thanks to them, I was able to get motivated to study English. I am truly grateful.”
Esther M. strongly recommends this book:
“This new experience was so important for me because I connected with the writer in her emotions, and in turn, she transmitted other people emotion´s. Sometimes I felt sadness, hope, anger for the injustice, joy for the empathy, frustration, confusion, relief, distress, and more! Like life itself! But, with a higher dose of intensity! I redoubled my strong belief in the importance of LOVE as a source of ending the evils caused by war, struggles, violence, and human pain. Everybody need to read this book, and know the testimonies of many people, victims of unjust mistreatment of their lives, they are children, parents, families like us, they are more than a cold statistic, they are more than breaking news in a small space of information, and they are like us without much difference. WE ARE A UNIVERSAL FAMILY.”
Another student, Natta S. experienced the book’s subject matter deeply:
“The words flow as a creek; the language is clear and easy to read. But the book has a trick: when you go deep into the plot you develop a strong wish to escape
from the reality described, because you understand it is unbearable. It is not a simple book about a beekeeper, it is an allegory. The allegory telling how peaceful life suddenly become a nightmare. People are escaping from their city, fighting for life, breathing, talking. But despite their attempts to survive they are wounded too much; they are blind and mentally sick. Reading the book, I searched for a ray of hope. I wish these people a piece of the promised land. But who can change human nature? The powerful ones will always fight for more power, money, land, and the “beekeepers” will always suffer. I’m very grateful to the summer book club and to our teacher Catherine C. for an opportunity to read and discuss a book that makes you think and empathize with the characters.”
The tutors also enjoyed the book discussion. Marlene had this to say about the book club experience:
“I couldn’t say enough about this book club. It was my first experience joining a book club. It was impressive. The participants (students) were very informed, prepared and engaged. I was a little bit intimidated because they not only knew the material very well but they used high level vocabulary. I was impressed! It was a wonderful book and I learned a lot about the book and about the author. I especially liked the authors comments at the end where she explained what prompted her to write about “The Beekeeper of Aleppo.” It was a wonderful story. I enjoyed Catherine leading this book club. She was prepared with the slides and pictures which made the material even more exciting. She also made us think and asked questions. She was a wonderful book club leader and I will definitely sign up for the next book club. Thank you, Catherine!”
Another tutor, Lisa G. O’L. had this insight into the book club:
“I have participated in the last two book clubs organized by Catherine. She has chosen very manageable books to read. Both have been translated into English from their original language. Students and tutors, of a variety of ages, participated. The meetings occurred over three weeks on Zoom. Catherine prepared slides that helped engage all of us in discussing the book. This recent discussion was attended by two students who emigrated from the country in which the story originated. Their input was invaluable and helped me better understand the challenges that immigrants face trying to leave the country of their birth. I would recommend that all members of the literacy group, students and tutors, consider joining the book club.”
The interest in this book was great and led to a discussion of Lefteri’s other works. She has also written Songbirds which we read in the Winter Book Club and have copies at the office. Her next work is going to be about climate change and how it effects the people and animals of Greece in the fires that raged there and destroyed some of their forests.
We met at Delizia Café the week afterwards where we enjoyed fellowship and continued our discussion of Christy Lefteri’s work. Our conversation ranged widely and all the students were very enthusiastic about gathering in person. We also discussed possible future books for the club.
We have been holding the Book Club for several years now, and have read such books as The Distance Between Us: Memoir by Reyna Grande, Enrique’s Journeys by Sonia Nazario, A Revolution is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine, The Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Parks, All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung, and anthologies: Coming of Age in the 21st Century edited by Mary Frosch and Coming of Age Around the World also edited by Mary Frosch and Faith Adiele, and Christi Lefteri’s Songbirds. We are open for suggestions for our next Book Club meeting, which will be in December/January. Both tutors and students are welcome, but space is limited and is first come first serve. An announcement will be made in our upcoming class schedule for the winter semester.