The Music of Bees

A Novel

By: Eileen Garvin

Narrated by: Thérèse Plummer

Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

A national best seller!

A Good Morning America Buzz Pick | A Good Housekeeping Book Club Pick | IndieNext Pick | LibraryReads Pick | Recommended by People ∙ The Washington Post ∙ Woman's World ∙ NY Post ∙ BookRiot ∙ Bookish ∙ Christian Science Monitor ∙ Nerd Daily ∙ The Tempest ∙ Midwestness ∙ The Coil ∙ Read It Forward ∙ and more!

“An exquisite debut that combines a moving tale of friendship with a fascinating primer on bees.” (People)

“This heartwarming, uplifting story will make you want to call your own friends, not to mention grab some honey.” (Good Housekeeping)

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 24-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.

“A hopeful, uplifting story about the power of chosen family and newfound home and beginning again...but it’s the bees, with all their wonder and intricacy and intrigue, that make this story sing.” (Laurie Frankel, New York Times best-selling author of This Is How It Always Is)

"Eileen Garvin's debut novel is uplifting, funny, bold, and inspirational. The Music of Bees sings!" (Adriana Trigiani, New York Times best-selling author)

©2020 Eileen Garvin (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“An exquisite debut that combines a moving tale of friendship with a fascinating primer on bees.” (People)

“This heartwarming, uplifting story will make you want to call your own friends, not to mention grab some honey.” (Good Housekeeping)

"A sweet story and a nice reminder that 'flaws' can actually be strengths.” (The Washington Post)

wonderful story

Loved the story and the characters were engaging
I loved what I learned about bees

Honest and filled with purpose

I loved every bit of this book. The story was filled with emotion, immediately connecting the reader with the characters and plot. The struggles were relatable and the relationships were real and comforting. I appreciated the honesty of emotion and how the author worked through those emotions with the characters.

I also really enjoyed learning about honey bees and the connection between people and the environment. The author incorporated care of the environment into the story simply and naturally, as it would be in our own lives. It was a very positive approach.

In addition, I loved the wisdom shared throughout the story as the characters confronted struggles and grief, disappointments and failures. It was real and heart wrenching. Yet, in tragedy, they found purpose. This is a great observation and lesson.

I will add this book to my favorites list and recommend it to others. Thank you for such a great read!

Excellent Reader!

The reader caught the essence of all the characters with intonation and pleasing voice quality.

Very enjoyable, interesting and educational read!

I enjoyed this book very much, it was a nice story with well developed characters who I think the reader comes to care for very much. It begins a bit disjointed, jumping around from character to character, before the characters are well defined, which was a bit confusing early on, but it eventually all came together. I learned so much about bees and the environment and the benefits of pollinators. I already had some knowledge but I developed a more in-depth knowledge and a protectiveness for bees after reading this book. I enjoyed it very much!
The narrator gave a distinctive, individual voice to each character making the audio version a nice listening experience.
A worthwhile read/listen.

Touching and fascinating

I loved the excellent way the author built each character, including the bees. The story brings the reader to a greater understanding of how nature must be protected from human predators, and the importance of individual efforts. The progression of each character from powerless and feeling unloved to strong people with joy made the book well worth reading.

Absolutely Fabulous

Music of the Bees is alive with Eileen’s descriptive narrative. She skillfully tells a story of small town tragedy and triumph. Brilliantly done! Thanks so much!

Enjoyed every minute!

This was different from the usual mystery/thriller I listen to or read. I really enjoyed it. While some my think the story takes a bit of a political turn, it works in this book. The characters are extremely likable. Plus I love bees!

Entertaining and educational

Lovely story of resilience, acceptance, and our need for human connection. Great character development, very believable.

A beautiful story

I had no idea what this particular book would bring, and it was just what I needed. Alison, Jake, and Harry, their lives crossed at such a critical period in their lives, though they were hardly aware the impact each one had on the other Life can sometimes be soul crushing, and when you have special people around you amazing things can happen on the road to recovery and redemption.

Must read!

Simply splendid. Knows bees and knows the human spirit. You'll feel and smell the hive.