The History of Bees by Maja Lunde

Review By Biblio Virgo

 

(This book was sent to me by Simon and Schuster Canada in return for an honest review.)

 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

Publishing Company: Touchstone

 

Publishing Date: August 2017

 

Genre: Adult Fiction

 

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When I first received the book, The History of Bees by Maja Lunde, I read the blurb and thought, “Oh. This is going to be interesting. A story about bees, you don’t see this story line everyday.”

 

I opened the book, read the first words, flipped the page, flipped another page and another page and I was about 50 pages in when I smacked the spine against my lap.

 

Oh god, I thought. It is happening to me, this book is going to give me reading block.

 

There is a slow start to a book but then there is a really slow start. It was like watching paint dry and I could just not get into it. But I am not the type of reader not to finish a book. So every so often I would pick it up and read a little bit.

 

Pick it up and read a little bit.

 

A little more.

 

Even more.

 

Until…

 

BAM.

 

HOLY. THIS IS ACTUALLY A GREAT BOOK.

 

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Since Lunde is a screenwriter, I believe this gives her writing its own unique flavour. She is descriptive, but not rambling…the music against your ears type. The way she words sentences and the style in which she writes will make you smile, laugh and cry – maybe even on the same page.

 

Lunde beautifully and uniquely outlines the storyline with three characters: William from 1852, George from 2007 and Tao from 2098.

 

Each chapter is written in a different perspective of each character and their bee situation in the current time frame.

 

With William, people are just starting to delve into beekeeping with creating their own hive structures. With George, people are starting to see a collapse of the bee population. With Tao, the reader is able to see the manner of people’s lives once the bees have died.

The different points of view are absolutely brilliant and make the story what it is: interesting.

 

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‘The bees?’ I thought about it and then the answer came and I felt pretty damn brilliant. ‘They are the rest of the stars.’

 

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My favourite character was William because he was the character with the most development. In the story he faced depression and fought long and hard to overcome his struggle.

 

He finally pulled back his covers and began to research his own hive structure.

 

I admire his strength.

 

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Because I had stood face-to-face with death, but had fought back and risen again.

 

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All the aspects of Lunde’s novel are amazing: the storyline, the characters, the plot development. I just wish it had not taken so long to get into.

 

I recommend this book for fiction lovers aged 17 and up.

 

Discover the history of bees.