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A review by fionayule
The Beekeeper of Sinjar by Dunya Mikhail
5.0
Beekeeper of Sinjar
Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for an advance ARC in return for an honest review.
This is not a long book.
In fact, when I got to the end I was left feeling is that it? But short though it may be its harrowing reading. Sometimes almost with your hands over your face in shock and horror.
The book is a compilation of recollections of (mostly Yazidi) woman kidnapped by ISIS (Daesh), helped by the Beekeper of Sindjar, Abdullah Sharem who smuggles escaped woman to safety. Before the war in Iraq he was a Beekeper hence the title.
This is not written by an author but a poet, it is also based on the women’s recollections some made in person, and some over the phone. What this novel achieves is being an oral narrative of these women’s horrific experiences. Being kidnapped, raped in front of their children. Watching their sons become radicalised by ISIS. Watching their elders being murdered.
(Apparent) rumours of woman and children not sold as sex slaves being sold for body parts.
What is also achieves is being an oral narrative of the kindness of strangers who helped the woman (and children) get to freedom. The dressmaker who hid a woman and her two children in her shop for three months.
The others who lent cell phones to allow them to call home and arrange their rescue.
This is recent history, this is not the dark and distance past, and its an important story that needed to be told. It’s not a novel though its an important recounting of women’s experiences in the recent past which makes this an important read.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for an advance ARC in return for an honest review.
This is not a long book.
In fact, when I got to the end I was left feeling is that it? But short though it may be its harrowing reading. Sometimes almost with your hands over your face in shock and horror.
The book is a compilation of recollections of (mostly Yazidi) woman kidnapped by ISIS (Daesh), helped by the Beekeper of Sindjar, Abdullah Sharem who smuggles escaped woman to safety. Before the war in Iraq he was a Beekeper hence the title.
This is not written by an author but a poet, it is also based on the women’s recollections some made in person, and some over the phone. What this novel achieves is being an oral narrative of these women’s horrific experiences. Being kidnapped, raped in front of their children. Watching their sons become radicalised by ISIS. Watching their elders being murdered.
(Apparent) rumours of woman and children not sold as sex slaves being sold for body parts.
What is also achieves is being an oral narrative of the kindness of strangers who helped the woman (and children) get to freedom. The dressmaker who hid a woman and her two children in her shop for three months.
The others who lent cell phones to allow them to call home and arrange their rescue.
This is recent history, this is not the dark and distance past, and its an important story that needed to be told. It’s not a novel though its an important recounting of women’s experiences in the recent past which makes this an important read.