The History of Bees
The Radio 2 Bookclub selection
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3.9 • 44 Ratings
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
***THE NUMBER ONE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER***
‘Fans of Cloud Atlas and Never Let Me Go will love The History of Bees’ Good Housekeeping
‘Dystopian and electric, this book is set to blow minds everywhere' Stylist
'Haunting and poignant ... an important and wonderful book' Dave Goulson, bestselling author of Bee Quest
In the spirit of Station Eleven and Never Let Me Go, this dazzling and ambitious literary debut follows three generations of beekeepers from the past, present, and future, weaving a spellbinding story of their relationship to the bees – and to their children and one another – against the backdrop of an urgent, global crisis.
England, 1851. William is a biologist and seed merchant, who sets out to build a new type of beehive—one that will give both him and his children honour and fame.
United States, 2007. George is a beekeeper and fights an uphill battle against modern farming, but hopes that his son can be their salvation.
China, 2098. Tao hand paints pollen onto the fruit trees now that the bees have long since disappeared. When Tao’s young son is taken away by the authorities after a tragic accident—and is kept in the dark about his whereabouts and condition—she sets out on a grueling journey to find out what happened to him.
Haunting, illuminating, and deftly written, The History of Bees joins these three very different narratives into one gripping and thought provoking story that is just as much about the powerful relationships between children and parents as it is about our very relationship to nature and humanity.
‘Haunting and poignant … an important and wonderful book’ Dave Goulson, author of Bee Quest
‘Spectacular and deeply moving. Lunde has elegantly woven together a tale of science and science fiction, dystopia and hope, and the trials of the individual and the strengths of family’ Lisa See, New York Times bestselling author
‘Such is the genius of debut novelist Maja Lunde that her tale of three eras—the long past, the tenuous present and the biologically damned future—is strung on the fragile hope of the survival of bees’ Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author
‘As a lover of honeybees and a fan of speculative fiction, I was doubly smitten by THE HISTORY OF BEES. Maja Lunde’s novel is an urgent reminder of how much our survival depends on those remarkable insects. It is also a gripping account of how—despite the cruelest losses—humanity may abide and individual families can heal’ Jean Hegland, author of Into the Forest
‘By turns devastating and hopeful, The History of Bees resonates powerfully with our most pressing environmental concerns. Following three separate but interconnected timelines, Lunde shows us the past, the present, and a terrifying future in a riveting story as complex as a honeycomb’Bryn Greenwood, New York Times bestselling author
‘Here is a story that is sweeping in scope but intimate in detail’ Laura McBride, author of We Are Called to Rise
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Children’s author Maja Lunde makes a stunning debut in adult fiction with a novel that kept us thinking about the world long after we’d finished reading. She tells the stories of three individuals—a 19th-century biologist, a modern-day beekeeper and a mother in a dystopian future—and uses the evolving fate of bees in each era to raise haunting concerns about our relationship with nature. But this is also an optimistic book about the bond between parents and their children—and the way all three characters are eventually tied together is clever and satisfying.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In her first adult novel, Norwegian children's author Lunde posits an apocalyptic future, weaving together stories on three continents in three different time periods that revolve around honeybees. In 2098, Tao, a human pollinator for fruit trees in a world devoid of bees, struggles along with her husband to make ends meet. She's is devoted to her three-year-old son, Wei-Wen, who suddenly has a mysterious and catastrophic accident. In 1851, William Savage, a father of eight in Hertfordshire, England, believes he has finally come up with an ingenious design for the perfect beehive, which will not only save the family from financial decline but will also bond him with his only son, Edmund. George, a beekeeper in 2007 Ohio, is desperate to have his son, Tom, take over the family business, even though Tom is pursuing an academic career. George prides himself on his work and the hand-built hives that have been in his family for generations, but everything changes when disaster strikes apiaries across the U.S. As the author adroitly switches back and forth among the intense stories, she explores the link between parents and children, and the delicate balance of expressing parental expectations versus allowing grown children to follow their own passions. There is also the strong theme about the potentially bleak outcome for a world that ignores the warning signs of environmental catastrophe and allows honeybees to disappear. Lunde's novel provides both a multifaceted story and a convincing and timely wake-up call.
Customer Reviews
Something very special
I devoured this book!
Beautifully written.
An important thought provoking book for anyone who cares about our planet and the way we are treating it. Entwined with wonderful, likeable characters living through despair and hope.
History or Bees in short
Lovely merging of 3 stories intricately weaved. Not sure which of the 3 was my favourite but the characters all jump off the page!