On the back of such small wings
Author : Maja Lunde
Title : The History of Bees
Published : 29/03/2018
Pages : 352
Genre : Historical FictionPublisher : Scribner UK
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 honor and fame. The 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's 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.
This was a book that grabbed me as soon as I read the blurb on the back. For a start I am fascinated by bees themselves, I find it strange how a single species can be responsible for the pollination of pretty much all the food we come to eat. The book also brings up the notion of what might take place if one day they all died off, How could the human world continue when plants stop producing food for us.
The book takes us across three time periods which allows us to get to know three very distinct groups of people through the course of the book. Due to each time being so separate there is never any overlap and that each gets to tell the own story without the need to worry about how it fits into the others. The only common thread is that of how humanity interacts with these insects. And while obviously, this is a big part of the story it is also just as much about the family at the ties that bind us. Be it, George, trying to connect with his son in the present or Tao trying to find her son in a dystopian future. In just a short amount of time the author manages to get you to care about this people, she has created. They each feel genuine and come across feeling like they belong to there little sections of the book.
This is an amazingly well-written book, It style is very light and simple to get on with yet it carries much loftier ideas on its pages. She takes the idea that we need to find a way to have balance with nature and our environment and give it a human face. Something for the reader to connect with and show the possible consequence if we fail to act. Within in each time zone, we also get a glimpse into the daily lives of those people whose lives revolve around bees. To me, each felt like they had complete story arcs that made them feel whole with enough time devoted to each to keep me engrossed in their personal stories. If taken apart each of the three could work as short stories, However, in making the decision to blend them together the author gives us a more big picture kind of book. It delivers a story about the world just with a more human face.
This was a book that I got through with some speed, The changing narrator is in part responsible for this each time I was left wanting to get back and find out what was going to happen next. I was however left with a desire to know more about the lives of each of them. A void I hope to fill when it's squeal gets realized in English. This book carries with it a noble sense of caring and a need to look after the world we live in before it is gone.
This was a book that grabbed me as soon as I read the blurb on the back. For a start I am fascinated by bees themselves, I find it strange how a single species can be responsible for the pollination of pretty much all the food we come to eat. The book also brings up the notion of what might take place if one day they all died off, How could the human world continue when plants stop producing food for us.
The book takes us across three time periods which allows us to get to know three very distinct groups of people through the course of the book. Due to each time being so separate there is never any overlap and that each gets to tell the own story without the need to worry about how it fits into the others. The only common thread is that of how humanity interacts with these insects. And while obviously, this is a big part of the story it is also just as much about the family at the ties that bind us. Be it, George, trying to connect with his son in the present or Tao trying to find her son in a dystopian future. In just a short amount of time the author manages to get you to care about this people, she has created. They each feel genuine and come across feeling like they belong to there little sections of the book.
This is an amazingly well-written book, It style is very light and simple to get on with yet it carries much loftier ideas on its pages. She takes the idea that we need to find a way to have balance with nature and our environment and give it a human face. Something for the reader to connect with and show the possible consequence if we fail to act. Within in each time zone, we also get a glimpse into the daily lives of those people whose lives revolve around bees. To me, each felt like they had complete story arcs that made them feel whole with enough time devoted to each to keep me engrossed in their personal stories. If taken apart each of the three could work as short stories, However, in making the decision to blend them together the author gives us a more big picture kind of book. It delivers a story about the world just with a more human face.
This was a book that I got through with some speed, The changing narrator is in part responsible for this each time I was left wanting to get back and find out what was going to happen next. I was however left with a desire to know more about the lives of each of them. A void I hope to fill when it's squeal gets realized in English. This book carries with it a noble sense of caring and a need to look after the world we live in before it is gone.
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