I loved The Beekeeper of Aleppo, so I was really excited to read Lefteri’s most recent work. It was actually one of my most anticipated reads this year. It’s described as following an artistic family living out in the woods whose lives are destroyed by a forest fire and by a mother who does something shocking without thinking. I envisioned an eco-thriller with some emotional gut punches.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t really any of those things. It was a more quiet, reflective story that flashes between different POVs and different timelines. There isn’t really anything thrilling or mysterious. Everything is pretty straightforward, making for a read that sort of plods along.

Where this book does really shine is in its portrayal of post traumatic stress disorder and how it affects different people differently. I think Lefteri really captured some of the more subtle parts of PTSD effectively. She also illustrated just how hard it can be to break free of it. 

I also appreciate that this book touches on the climate change that made the fire grow out of control, but I actually wish it delved even deeper into this issue. I wish it had been more straightforward in its criticisms. 

All in all, this was a decent book and maybe it was hurt by the fact that it was following such a stunner in Beekeeper. If you like modern historical fiction with some current topics and portrayals of PTSD, you may enjoy this one.