It took me some time to get around to reading this book. This was one of the hidden meaning artistic novel. Not for me. I was bored most of the time. There was a somber feeling throughout, but I emotionally did not connect.

Hassan's journey into adulthood will require him to make choices that will affect those he loves. No matter his choice, his heart will be broken. The descriptive writing style of THE LAST BEEKEEPER generate visuals of Pakistan that lend to the characters and their communities. An emotionally charged story that was a pleasure to read.

This book isn’t the best written book that I have read. It is also not hugely captivating. I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters either. A bit disappointing

The Last Beekeeper is set in Pakistan in the 1970s. Hassan goes to the forest with his father to try to collect black honey from the bees, in order to save his Mother's sight. This collection of honey is forbidden by the government.

There were things I did like in the book, the power of nature as illustrated by the forest and the bees. The message of the love of family. But overall I found this story slow paced and hard to get involved in. Maybe one needs to be in a state of readiness for the book, which is slower paced with a less action-packed story than I'm used to reading lately.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter, and author Siya Turabi for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved the descriptions, but found the writing a little slow. Nevertheless, overall I finished it, and would say I enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Hassan, a young boy on the verge of manhood, is caring, clever and courageous. His father, a poet and harvester of black honey, is not a constant in his life, nonetheless the boy looks up to him. He knows that his father goes into the forests – a forbidden activity – to harvest the honey for Hassan’s mother, whose eyesight is failing rapidly. The honey is the only thing that is keeping her from going blind. But when, as usually happens, his father disappears, Hassan is torn between finding the bees and getting the honey himself by going into the forest – still illegal - or taking up the scholarship he has won and so richly deserves.
He takes the scholarship in Karachi and there meets the governor’s niece, Maryam, whereupon he finds himself quickly enchanted by her. He is now faced with a new dilemma – whether to follow Maryam to London or to stay in Pakistan and support his mother. What will he do?
The story tells of his coming of age and how his relationship with his mother, his father and even the bees impact his development into adulthood, how his love for Maryam complicates his decision, and how the pull of home conflicts with his desire for a better education and future.

The history and political situation of Pakistan in the 70s makes for interesting reading in setting the scene, and the story is lyrical in its descriptiveness, particularly around the bees - which proves to be almost magical - and how he is drawn into their world. Hassan is a well-drawn character with all the complexities of a coming of age novel. It’s clearly his story, and consequently other characters are less defined. Gently-paced, this story explores a young man’s choices in life, challenging him and allowing him to find his place in the world.

This book is set in beautiful surroundings but that is where it ends for me. I found it very slow, repetitive and at times confusing.

While the pacing of this book was a bit inconsistent at points, I did enjoy it. It is set in Pakistan and I loved learning about Hassan's world and the emphasis on nature and bees. The book contains many complex emotions and coming of age themes.

Sadly this wasn't for me, I found it too slow and in some places confusing. Couldn't really connect with the characters either. Such a shame as I really wanted to love it. Good to see that there are some excellent reviews from others though. Am happy that it was enjoyed by others.

Thank you Netgalley.

This was a wonderfully intriguing read with such great emotional depth and the cover is absolutely gripping.

I wanted to love this book but sadly struggled a little due to its slow pace, I also had trouble connecting with the main characters for most of it. The story however was quite well written and had a mytical feel throughout which may appeal more to other readers.

From the description, I kind of expected this to be a romance, but instead it was a coming-of-age story set in 1974 Pakistan. It is also an ode to nature, and especially to bees. Hassan is drawn to the forest, and the black bees live there. Not only do they call to him, but their honey might be the last chance to cure his mother's eyesight. However, he also has an opportunity to go study in London on scholarship, and a good friend who will be going there.

There is a lot of talk about bees and nature. One of the things I also liked was the character Mir Saab. My opinion of him completely changed from the start of the book.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for leetting me read this book. And thanks to the author. I think it's obvious the story was a labor of love.

So many people loved this book and while I enjoyed the lyrical story, especially when talking about the bees, it was just an okay read for me. Hassan is a young man who is intelligent, caring, and brave. He wants to make everyone happy as well as support his family. He looks up to his father and wants to follow in his footsteps as a poet and harvester of honey. His mother's eyesight is deteriorating, and he is positive that only the magic healing power of the black honey will stop her from going blind. He needs to find the bees and the beekeeper deep in the forest. The problem is that the governor has made it illegal to enter the forest. Hassan wins a scholarship to attend school in Karachi where he meets the governor’s niece, Maryam, from London and falls in love. More choices for him - follow Maryam to England or find the beekeeper and remain in Pakistan? With conflict brewing in Pakistan, his father missing and his mother's safety at risk what will he choose. It is a story of coming of age and of finding his way in life.

When I read the synopsis of this book, I thought there would be more about what Pakistan was going through, but this was more about Hassan and his relationship with the bees. The author talks about the bees calling him. The soft buzzing of bees, the hexagonal and spiral shapes found throughout nature and being drawn into their world. It is a magical relationship. It was a beautiful descriptive novel that brings the reader into nature. There are many characters to meet, but Hassan is the only one fully developed. I did like learning about the customs in his small village and some of what the political climate and issues were in 1974 Pakistan, but more than anything else, this was a coming of age story.

Visit historic Pakistan, 1974 through this novel.
"This is a lyrical historical novel of family, friendship, and self-discovery exploring the power of choice in a changing world and love in communion with nature."
Hassan has a dilemma, he must find the last beekeeper, he is very elusive not making himself seen or available to anyone in his forest home. If he doesn't find the beekeeper so he can harvest a jar of miraculous black honey for his mother's eyes before the flood comes she will become completely blind.
This young man has his sights set on other things to improve his station in life as well. He wins a scholarship to study with the state governor in Karachi despite political turmoil and simmering espionage. He also meets and becomes interested in Maryam, the governor’s niece visiting from London. His father forbids him from going in search of the beekeeper and the healing honey for his mother's eye's. To not listen and disrespect his father's wishes is unheard of.
This young man has a lot of choices to make in this novel of self discovery.

Pub Date 19 Aug 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was ready to love this book about Pakistan in the early 1970's but the truth is I had a really hard time getting through this one. This comes across a little too mystical and spiritual for me. It just wasn't the book for me although I'm sure many people will enjoy the story.

This lyrical historical novel introduces readers to political scenes in Pakistan. It is also a story of love and making choices, and deciding what really matters most in one's life.

I really wanted to like this story, and I was excited to read it based on the description. However, I just couldn't connect with Hassan due to his father's negligence. The storyline was extremely slow from the start, and it was hard for me to pick up this book and become invested in it. I felt that Hassan's father wasn't considering how his actions would impact his family, and his disregard for staying out of the forest. He knowingly put his family in danger, and virtually abandoned them to escape punishment. Hassan is left alone to care for his ailing mother, hoping to find black honey to cure her. At this point I couldn't go any further, and couldn't convince myself to try to get invested a story about a boy who idolized his father who left them to survive on their own. I feel like I could give this book another chance in the future, but at this point it is going to remain on my DNF shelf.

Moving and inspirational, a great book about friendship and family. I enjoyed it very much and found it magical.

What a wonderful, fantastical, lovely story. A story of family, of love, choices and what life has to offer. It is a story that draws you in and and makes you cheer for Hassam, his life and his family.

The story is well written, descriptive and beautiful. It is a story that is easy to read and easy to enjoy, it is also emotional and enlightening. I love the forest, the honey, the calling of the bees. I highly recommend this most enjoyable book.

The Last Beekeeper has been lauded as a "must read" new work. However, despite being well observed, with a keen understanding of rural and urban Pakistan of the epoch, and well drawn key characters, I was left wanting. It's possible that was the point. Hassan is becoming awake to the many different worlds, and the various paths open to him, while on his key mission. There is so much he doesn't know or understand, too few people he knows to trust. Maybe Siya Turabi's objective was exactly that. To share with the reader the protagonist's constant anxiety, caused by his lack of understanding. A coming of age novel.
It isn't that I wasn't drawn in, I was, but was left with an anti-climatical feeling.
Turabi's writing is deft, drawing vivid images of the Hassan's world, but still allowing one's imagination to fill in the blanks.