Review – Bees in June by Elizabeth Bass Parman
Synopsis
Set against the optimism and excitement of the first moon landing in the summer of 1969, a feat many said was impossible, one woman struggles to achieve something she thinks is impossible–living a happy and fulfilling life.
Rennie King’s world isn’t at all what she expected when she married the hotshot baseball player from her small town of Spark, Tennessee. Reeling from the loss of her newborn son, she desperately needs the support of her husband, but instead of providing comfort, he is becoming increasingly angry, often turning that anger on her.
When a glowing bee lands beside her, Rennie senses she needs to check on her beloved beekeeper uncle. The bee stirs long-forgotten memories of a childhood lived close to nature, a connection she lost over time. As the summer progresses, she finds both the bees and her uncle advising and encouraging her. While healing from her loss, she gains the courage to break free from the husband who is becoming increasingly violent.
With help from her family, her friends, and of course, the bees, Rennie dares to hope that she can build a happy life for herself and opens a business that could provide a path to independence. But starting over is hard, and as the heat rises that summer, so do tempers, until everything comes to a head the night the astronauts first step onto the moon’s surface.
Hope-filled and infused with magical realism, Bees in June captures Rennie’s journey back to her true self, creating a rewarding life that the bees showed her was possible if she only believed in herself and the magic that surrounds her.
Amazon * B&N * Bookshop
Review
After reading a lot of suspense/thriller novels, it was time for something a little lighter. When I say ‘lighter,’ I don’t mean the subject matter (because this book addresses multiple tough topics), but rather one that has me on the edge of my seat.
Rennie is young but has suffered so much. She loses her son when he is born, and she is dealing with an abusive and controlling husband. However, she has the bees on her side, along with the support of friends and family. I felt for Rennie because she is so beaten down from the verbal and physical abuse her husband dishes out. It takes her a long time to realize she has more worth, and she no longer has to endure this treatment.
This is a story of family, love, patience, and endurance. There is so much family love, but sometimes it is hard for Rennie to see that. I loved the chapters from the bees’ perspective, and the lengths to which the bees went to protect Rennie and her family.
There are misunderstandings, hard conversations, and dreams scattered throughout this novel. I enjoyed this book from cover to cover and read it in record time.
We give this book 5 paws up, and I am adding her first book to my TBR list.
About the Author
Elizabeth is a native Nashvillian, who had the extraordinarily good fortune of having as an English teacher in middle school author Lee Smith. Lee told Elizabeth to always keep writing, which she has joyfully done.
She received her Bachelor’s degree in English literature from Hamilton College in upstate New York after spending a glorious Junior year in Canterbury, England, attending the University of Kent. She visited a dozen countries during her time there, much to the detriment of her GPA. As an Anglophile, one of the highlights of her travels was finding herself in a tiny museum in Wales, alone with Princess Diana’s wedding dress.
After a year working in Manhattan, she returned to Nashville and married her high school sweetheart. They have now-grown identical twin daughters.
She holds a Master’s degree in Education from Belmont University in Nashville, and recently retired from a non-profit, working with children and adults with reading-based learning disabilities such as dyslexia.
Elizabeth is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and the Nashville Writers Alliance.
