Title: The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin
Publisher: Dutton
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Three lonely strangers in a rural Oregon town, each working through grief and life’s curveballs, are brought together by happenstance on a local honeybee farm where they find surprising friendship, healing–and maybe even a second chance–just when they least expect it.
Forty-four-year-old Alice Holtzman is stuck in a dead-end job, bereft of family, and now reeling from the unexpected death of her husband. Alice has begun having panic attacks whenever she thinks about how her life hasn’t turned out the way she dreamed. Even the beloved honeybees she raises in her spare time aren’t helping her feel better these days.
In the grip of a panic attack, she nearly collides with Jake–a troubled, paraplegic teenager with the tallest mohawk in Hood River County–while carrying 120,000 honeybees in the back of her pickup truck. Charmed by Jake’s sincere interest in her bees and seeking to rescue him from his toxic home life, Alice surprises herself by inviting Jake to her farm.
And then there’s Harry, a twenty-four-year-old with debilitating social anxiety who is desperate for work. When he applies to Alice’s ad for part-time farm help, he’s shocked to find himself hired. As an unexpected friendship blossoms among Alice, Jake, and Harry, a nefarious pesticide company moves to town, threatening the local honeybee population and illuminating deep-seated corruption in the community. The unlikely trio must unite for the sake of the bees–and in the process, they just might forge a new future for themselves.
Beautifully moving, warm, and uplifting, The Music of Bees is about the power of friendship, compassion in the face of loss, and finding the courage to start over (at any age) when things don’t turn out the way you expect.
Review:
The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin is a heartwarming novel of friendship, healing and new beginnings.
Forty-four-year-old Alice Holtzman is going through the motions as she grieves the loss of her husband. She manages to go to her job every day, but she does not want to interact with anyone outside of work. Alice is most content when she is working with her bees so she decides to expand her beehives with hopes of turning her hobby into a viable business. She surprises herself when she spirits eighteen-year-old Jake Stevenson away from his abusive father. Alice then hires twenty-four-year-old Harry Stokes to help with her expansion plans. How will Alice cope when she makes an impulsive decision that alters her future?
Alice has always been a solitary person so no one is more shocked than she is when finally accepts Buddy Ryan’s invitation to go out with him. They enjoy ten happy years together before his death and she is still struggling with his tragic loss. Alice has closed herself off from Buddy’s family and avoids other people she knows. She is also not exactly thrilled with her job but she needs her paycheck in order to go through with her plans. After Jake and Harry move onto her property, Alice is surprised by the positive impact they have on her life.
Jake is a gifted musician whose father did support not his plans for college. After a careless mistake, Jake is now a paraplegic who has withdrawn from his friends and given up music. He also spends most of his time avoiding his abusive father and depressing life. After going to stay with Alice, Jake discovers a natural affinity for beekeeping that gives him the purpose he has been lacking. But his excitement is tempered by the physical limitations he finds while working in Alice’s apiary.
Harry Stokes has always been a follower and rather aimless. He has trouble making friends which leads to poor decisions to please them. Harry has no idea how to navigate his way around the obstacles currently in his path. He is delighted when Alice hires him to work for her, but he is still afraid of making yet another mistake.
The Music of Bees is a captivating novel that is emotionally compelling. Alice, Jake and Harry are wonderful characters whose unexpected friendship helps them overcome their personal struggles. Their respective problems are realistic and their growth is gradual which makes it more believable. The rural setting is charming and the information about beekeeping is absolutely fascinating. Debut novelist Eileen Garvin brings this touching novel to an gratifying and deeply satisfying conclusion.
