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The History of Bees

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The History of Bees

By: Maja Lunde
Narrated by: Joy Osmanski, Steve West, Gibson Frazier
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About this listen

 “Imagine The Leftovers, but with honey” (Elle), and in the spirit of Station Eleven and Never Let Me Go, this “spectacular and deeply moving” (Lisa See, New York Times bestselling author) novel 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, 1852. 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.

United States, 2007. George is a beekeeper fighting 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, she sets out on a grueling journey to find out what happened to him.

Haunting, illuminating, and deftly written, The History of Bees joins “the past, the present, and a terrifying future in a riveting story as complex as a honeycomb” (Bryn Greenwood, New York Times bestselling author) that is just as much about the powerful bond between children and parents as it is about our very relationship to nature and humanity.©2017 Maja Lunde (P)2017 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved. Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Thought-Provoking

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All stars
Most relevant  
This book consists of three storylines.
one that plays in the past which is relatively interesting. though most of the interactions described seam robotic and erratic and inconsistent .

The second story plays in a roughly now. early 2000. the stroy is not overly interesting. the main character is more of a robot than a human incable of normal human interactions.

the third story is terrible it's boring. it's 7h of a mother talking to a toddler than talking to her husband which at times seams mentally challenged. but worst at all the mother she is written horrible (though fantastically acted). all she does is scream a name over 5 hours.

my advice skip the third story line. it does nothing for the plot. they are loosely connected and plottwists are obvious.

all the review saying politicians and leaders need to read this book are widely exaggerated. this book is fiction with a fundamental if minimal science.

now if you read this far you either already bought the book and wanted to see what others though,

or more importantly you are on the verge of buying it. if this is the case I would say give it a pass or just skip all of the third future storyline.

well this is my opinion yours may be different.

Overrated

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Exceptional book, beautifully read. A lesson in bee keeping but also an insight into human nature.

Simply Exceptional

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My mind is reeling! What is my contribution to society, what do I want for my children, should I want for my children or allow them to naturally evolve? should I only eat organic, are organic methods enough? Will my failures initiate future generations achievements. Nature should be left to its own devices, it cannot be tamed. Humans greatest mistake is our confidence in managing our environment... Is there hope?

Thought provoking on so many levels

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like it's being read by people who have never read before. a real shame that the narration takes so much away from the story...

like it's being read by people who have never...

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Absolutely loved this. Wonderfully written and performed. Was truly sad when it ended. Had tones of Station 11, Never Let Me Go with a David Mitchell style but still completely her own. Highly recommend.

Loved it

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I hadn't expected to like this book as much as I did. There is a sense of impending doom initially and a breathless 'to and fro' that leaves an uneasy feeling. As the individual storylines build however, the characters do start to hold your attention more. They're not really likeable on the surface but they are so very human and vulnerable. Without spoiling the end for others I'd say there is something hopeful and positive to be taken from this book. I was really moved by the characters and my enjoyment grew throughout it's reading. The readers are wonderful and make the separate threads mesh together really effectively. It's a particularly good book to have accessed via Audible and the readers certainly added to my overall enjoyment. A thought provoking and moving book.

Strangely enthralling.

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I recommend the book. it is well worth listening to: almost prophetic on its grand scale and captivating in its intimacy. The characters are very human and their connections plausible. The readers are quite good. Just a little wooden.

powerfully solemn book with profound messages

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each story was captivating the overall story educational and the linking genius. A good read.

BEEUTIFUL

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Prescient, provocative and thoughtful, experienced through a very human lens. It’s left me devastated yet hopeful.

An important read.

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I nearly gave up on this a few times, finding the characters and story line quite slow and monotonous, but 2/3s of the way through, it all started to click together and the storyline made more sense. The history of bees has a very relevant lesson for us all in it and is worth sticking with just for that. Now finished I look back at the characters with a fondness and enjoyed their story and how it intertwined eventually.

Stick with it!

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