@duffythewriter Review of The History Of Bees

The History of Bees tells the tales of three characters set hundreds of years apart.  There is William in 1852 England who is a biologist and a seed merchant. His life’s dream is to build a beehive like no other and win the respect of his peers and create a comfortable life for his family. Then there is George, who is an American in 2007, with old school family values. He is a lifelong beekeeper and expects his son to take over on the family farm. Finally, there is Tao, a Chinese woman living an unforgiving life in 2098. All the bees are gone and she, like the rest of the district must pollinate the rows of fruit trees, so there is food for the lucky few who are still alive. Her young son is taken away after a tragic accident. What happened to little Wei Wen?

Maja Lunde weaves melancholy throughout the lives of all three protagonists in The History Of Bees.  Each character has a family, yet all have times of loneliness and isolation. William dreams of a life in academia, but 1850’s English society expects him to raise a large family and provide for the household. George has a wife he adores and a young son who seems to be drifting from him, and Tao suffers the loss of her son and will stop at nothing to find him.

What Did I Think Of The History Of Bees

Those that read my blogs know that if I read a book in one or two sittings, it’s a winner.  The History Of Bees was read in one day, albeit from my sickbed. Each of the main characters has their own ‘hook’ and how Lunde links the stories together is really something special.  Not only is this a work of excellent fiction, it also sparks the discussion about the real plight of bees, and just how important they are to the environment and sustaining the food production for our burgeoning global population.

I’ll be surprised if this book isn’t optioned for a movie.

A thought provoking, melancholy, yet delicately written book, with a glimmer of hopefulness.

You can help the bees by leaving some of your garden native and maybe even having a hive of your own!

4 out of 5 from me

If you enjoyed Work Like Any Other, The One In A Million Boy, and If I Fall, If I Die

Buy the international best seller The History Of Bees now from Booktopia

Kindly given to me by Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review