Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible | 2010 | Christy Lefteri | Buy |
| 2 | The Beekeeper of Aleppo | 2019 | Christy Lefteri | Buy |
| 3 | Songbirds | 2021 | Christy Lefteri | Buy |
| 4 | The Book of Fire | 2023 | Christy Lefteri | Buy |
Christy Lefteri’s standalone novels each focus on different characters and settings but share a common concern with people forced from their homes. A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible (2010), her debut, is set during the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The Beekeeper of Aleppo (2019) follows a Syrian couple on the refugee trail to Europe. Songbirds (2021) explores the lives of migrant domestic workers in modern Cyprus. The Book of Fire (2023) is set in a Greek community threatened by wildfires.
Lefteri draws on personal experience and research for each book. Her parents were refugees from Cyprus, and she volunteered at a refugee center in Athens before writing The Beekeeper of Aleppo. That novel became an international bestseller, selling over a million copies and winning the Aspen Words Literary Prize.