At the heart of the novel is the Syrian civil war, which is the catalyst for Nuri and Afra’s journey to Europe. How does The Beekeeper of Aleppo depict war and its effects on individual victims?

What do the bees represent to the characters of the novel? Why is beekeeping so important to Nuri and Mustafa, both at home and abroad?

Nuri is a complex character, as he is capable of both deep kindness and callousness, even resorting to murder at one point in the novel. How does Nuri’s characterization illustrate the themes of the novel? What does his personality and actions reveal about his conceptions of war, home, and family?