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The History of Bees

By: Maja Lunde
Narrated by: Joy Osmanski, Steve West, Gibson Frazier
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Publisher's summary

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, 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 these three very different narratives into one gripping and thought-provoking story 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.
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What listeners say about The History of Bees

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Excellent!

Very moving book and super suitable format for audible with the 3 person storylines. Really enjoyed it.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I loved this book !!!

This is the best story I listened to in years. I felt present in all the chapters, as if Maja was talking to me, to my heart. Each era drew me into the story deeper and deeper into the past, present, and future and left me with an amazing hope for the health and beauty of our planet Earth

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6 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Predictable and poorly narrated

I really struggled to finish this story. I didn't like 2 of the 3 narrators. The story went between being predictable and being confusing.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fabulous!

I admit that I started this audible book several times before I could really get into it. I’m so glad I gave it another chance because the three narrators really held my attention. I kept listening to find out how the separate storylines would intersect! I was not disappointed! This is one of my favorite all-time books, and I will not forget it for a very long time!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Well done

The three storylines were easy to follow and came together well. The message about our interference with nature was clearly presented.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

History of stupid men

Well written and well performed. I did not like the main male characters. It was exhausting to spend this much time with them. This was a sad and very realistic story.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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a little scary but hopeful

I appreciated three different performers. I found the story rich. I cared about the characters .

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ReadThisBookAndLearn

This is easily the best, yet most worrisome book I've read in a long time. Love the multi-narrative format. The story is so real, so terrifying of what is happening and of how wholly reliant our existence is interdependent with all other life on this planet. Keep on buzzing, but remember where your honey comes from and at what cost

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1 person found this helpful

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Eye opening and intriguing

I especially enjoyed how the three stories came together into one, giving us a realistic glimpse of what the future of our planet very well might look like

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Boring and predictable.

I bought this book because the brief description of it said "in the spirit of Station Eleven..." - well, it is nothing like Station Eleven!

The three stories are boring and very predictable, no real highs and culmination in the entire book.

I liked the two male narrators, but not the female one.

One good thing about this book: it's beautifully written. Too bad even that doesn't help this book...

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1 person found this helpful