The Murmur of Bees

Locations
Call Number: Fiction / Segovia, Sofia, Adult Book / Fiction / General / Segovia, Sofia
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Segovia, Sofia	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / General / Segovia, Sofia	4-week checkout	On Shelf

Translated from the Spanish.
"From the day that old Nana Reja found a baby abandoned under a bridge, the life of a small Mexican town forever changed. Disfigured and covered in a blanket of bees, little Simonopio is for some locals the stuff of superstition, a child kissed by the devil. But he is welcomed by landowners Francisco and Beatriz Morales, who adopt him and care for him as if he were their own. As he grows up, Simonopio becomes a cause for wonder to the Morales family, because when the uncannily gifted child closes his eyes, he can see what no one else can -- visions of all that's yet to come, both beautiful and dangerous. Followed by his protective swarm of bees and living to deliver his adoptive family from threats -- both human and those of nature -- Simonopio's purpose in Linares will in time, be divined." -- from book jacket

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Booklist Review
Summary / Annotation

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Mystical submitted by cldaniels on June 27, 2020, 9:13am For me the book moved slowly, but magically, as it portrays the life of a wealthy family in Mexico who adopts a infant continually protected by bees.

Beautiful writing and fantasy set in Mexico. submitted by 21621031390949 on June 22, 2021, 8:22pm Lovely book, beautiful writing. I love a little fantasy mixed in with fiction - historical fiction in this case! I loved the setting of this book in early 20th century Mexico. The writing is so evocative and colorful, both dreamlike and real.

I did a combination of reading this book on my Kindle and listening to it on Audible (love that Whispersync feature!) I generally prefer to read hard copies because I taken in and retain more of the book; however, the recorded version is read just beautifully. The two readers (one male, one female) had wonderful voices and added a richness and complexity to the writing.

Highly recommend.

Beautiful, tender story submitted by lola.b on June 11, 2022, 9:12am The book does move slowly (I wish I had listened to the audiobook version because it took me a long time to get through the written book) but I'm so glad I stuck it out because it is a beautiful, magical, and tender tale! Set in the early 20th century of Mexico, it's a touching story of family, friendship, and growing up.

Summer reading at its best! submitted by sarah fishburn on July 19, 2023, 6:55pm This is one of my favorite reads of the summer. While I think the author owes a stylistic debt to Gabriel Garcia Marquez, in particular his One Hundred Years of Solitude, the story is all her own. Set against the twin tragedies of Mexican revolutionary times and the flu epidemic following WWI, it follows a family (and their workers) who, having taken in an abandoned orphan with a serious facial deformity (important as it affects his cleverly conceived methods for communication) struggle to continue their lives amidst chaos and travail. There is a touch of magical realism which I always appreciate, but a bit of suspension of disbelief is required! I also am happy to report the author does not hurry the ending nor tie loose ends abruptly. A pleasure to savor on these hot summer days.

Highly recommended submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on August 11, 2023, 8:28am This book moved in a slow, steady pace that kept me engaged all the way through, picking up for just a minute about three-quarters of the way through for a few pages, and then settling back into its steady pace again. This wasn’t a bad thing… I was constantly drawn back into the story by the strength of the storytelling. Simonopio was certainly the most powerful and central character. His vision and understanding of the land and the ranch, paired with the political and financial view of the times as understood by his godfather Francisco, grounded the story and gave context to the conflicts and tensions that made the book worth reading.

_The Murmur of Bees_ is the story of another time and place, and is beautifully told with exquisite language, a well rounded cast of interesting characters, and great tension. Highly recommended.