Book Reviews/A Writing Journey
Category: Other 5 out of 5s
Nuri and Mustafa run a business selling honey and royal jelly from their hives in Syria. When life in Syria becomes dangerous, Mustafa sends his family to England, but neither he nor his cousin can leave their bees. Only when rebels burn all their hives does Mustafa leave, but Nuri’s wife, Afra refuses to budge.
Continue reading “Christy Lefteri’s — The beekeeper of Aleppo”
Set in Africa, this futuristic fantasy focuses on the life of Onyesonwu. After her mother is raped, Onyesonwu’s mother escapes to the east away from the genocide of the Nuru tribe against the Okeke. In Jwahir, Onyesonwu is born but she is of mixed blood and the Okeke avoid her. But something is changing. Strange powers begin to develop — her singing attracts owls, she can change into a vulture and soar above the landscape. She goes to the town’s sorcerer and begs him to train her, but he turns her away because she’s a girl. Her destiny is written in the Great Book, but how will she accomplish these tasks to stop the bloodshed happening in the west that will eventually catch up with the Okeke living in the east?
Eleanor harbours a deep secret, not only from everyone, but also from herself. She lives a solitary life in Glasgow until she needs a colleague, Raymond, to fix her work computer. Eleanor slowly blooms when she meets other people through Raymond, but her childhood comes to haunt her.
There are laughable moments when the author betrays Eleanor’s take on her world, but also sad moments when Eleanor comes to terms with loss and a difficult childhood.
When Mary scours the English beaches, she discovers she has an eye for uncovering fossilized skeletons. In an age where women were barred from science, she is viewed as sinful. Only when she befriends Elizabeth who also scours beaches, does she find a like-minded companion. Continue reading “Tracy Chevalier’s — Remarkable creatures *****”
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