Queen Bee
A Novel
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3.9 • 39 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
“If I could only read one writer from now until the end of my life, it would be Dorothea Benton Frank." —Elin Hilderbrand, the New York Times bestselling author
Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank’s Carolina Lowcountry in this evocative tale that returns at long last to her beloved Sullivans Island.
Beekeeper Holly McNee Jensen quietly lives in a world of her own on Sullivans Island, tending her hives and working at the local island library. Holly calls her mother The Queen Bee because she’s a demanding hulk of a woman. Her mother, a devoted hypochondriac, might be unaware that she’s quite ill but that doesn’t stop her from tormenting Holly. To escape the drama, Holly’s sister Leslie married and moved away, wanting little to do with island life. Holly’s escape is to submerge herself in the lives of the two young boys next door and their widowed father, Archie.
Her world is upended when the more flamboyant Leslie returns and both sisters, polar opposites, fixate on what’s happening in their neighbor’s home. Is Archie really in love with that awful ice queen of a woman? If Archie marries her, what will become of his little boys? Restless Leslie is desperate for validation after her imploded marriage, squandering her favors on any and all takers. Their mother ups her game in an uproarious and theatrical downward spiral. Scandalized Holly is talking to her honey bees a mile a minute, as though they’ll give her a solution to all the chaos. Maybe they will.
Queen Bee is a classic Lowcountry Tale—warm, wise and hilarious, it roars with humanity and a dropperful of whodunit added for good measure by an unseen hand. In her twentieth novel, Dorothea Benton Frank brings us back to her beloved island with an unforgettable story where the Lowcountry magic of the natural world collides with the beat of the human heart.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Every one of Dorothea Benton Frank’s characters reminds us of a woman we’ve known—their needs and desires make them totally understandable and real. Enveloped in the heat and stillness of the Southern Lowcountry, Holly Jensen cares for her incapacitated mother, lives in the shadow of her seems-like-she-has-it-all sister, and does her best to mend herself. Through it all, Holly maintains a gift for spreading sweetness and light all around her. Thanks to Frank’s talent for making her characters’ flaws downright charming, Holly’s story of perseverance is full of humor and unvarnished truth. You’ll want to devour Queen Bee in one indulgent sitting.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bestseller Frank (By Invitation Only) shows off her formidable storytelling chops and her gift for creating memorable characters in this quirky and delightful Southern tale. Holly McNee Jensen, a teacher and beekeeper also caring for her demanding hypochondriac mother (whom she refers to as the Queen Bee), is marking time on tiny Sullivan's Island, S.C. She falls hard for her widower neighbor, Archie MacLean, and his two sweet young sons, Tyler and Hunter, and all's seemingly going well until Holly's much-cosseted sister, Leslie, comes home, having left her husband over his penchant for crossdressing. Chaos reigns. Leslie and the Queen Bee travel to Las Vegas, and Holly gets a rude awakening when Archie marries someone else. In the end, Holly learns that happily-ever-after can come in the most unexpected of circumstances. A colorful supporting cast rounds out the story. Full of Low Country flavor and brilliantly imagined characters, this laugh-out-loud-hilarious novel with a wistful edge will satisfy anyone who wants to see flawed people getting second chances.
