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Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33607002752916 | Adult Fiction | HESKETH | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
With echoes of The Remains of the Day, an elderly beekeeper looks back on his quiet life, and the secrets of a woman he never truly knew.
Albert Honig's most constant companions have always been his bees. A never-married octogenarian, he makes a modest living as a beekeeper, as his father and his father's father did before him. Deeply acquainted with the workings of the hives, Albert is less versed in the ways of people, especially his friend Claire, whose presence and absence in his life have never been reconciled.
When Claire is killed in a seemingly senseless accident during a burglary gone wrong, Albert is haunted by the loss, and by the secrets and silence that hovered between them for so long. As he pieces together the memories of their shared history, he will come to learn the painful truths about Claire's life, and the redemptive power of laying the past to rest.
Author Notes
Peggy Hesketh's writing has appeared in Calliope and the Antietam Review , and her short story "A Madness of Two" was selected by Elizabeth George for inclusion in her anthology Two of the Deadliest . A longtime journalist, Hesketh teaches writing and rhetoric at the University of California, Irvine. This is her first novel.
Reviews (1)
Library Journal Review
Narrator Albert Honig is a beekeeper who has lived his 80-plus years in the same house, content with his solitude, his routines, and his bees. When he discovers the two elderly sisters next door have been murdered in their home, he is forced to relive memories he has suppressed for decades, retracing his 70-year friendship with them in search of the reason they were killed. Gradually, he finds the courage to face the guilt, happiness, pain, and love he has been avoiding for years. VERDICT Reminiscent of Marilynne Robinson's Gilead, Hesketh's debut explores family secrets and end-of-life reflections. The author's exceptional storytelling skills allow us not only to understand Albert's feelings, but to experience those emotions right along with him. Readers in search of a heartfelt, thought-provoking novel will find what they are looking for in this journey through the life of an unassuming apiarist who knows more about his reclusive neighbors than anyone could guess. [See Prepub Alert, 9/27/12.]-Katie Wernz, Powell, OH (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.