The Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Science & Math, Engineering & Transportation
Book Type: Paperback
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Science & Math, Engineering & Transportation
Book Type: Paperback
R E K. (bigstone) - , reviewed on + 1438 more book reviews
This is a beautiful story one cannot help but enjoy about a woman who grew up in the seventies, living primarily with her grandparents. Meredith and her younger brother, Matt, lived with their parents in Rhode Island until their mother's violent anger led to divorce. Sally, the mother, takes them to California to live with their grandparents. She moves into her childhood bedroom where she stays, sleeping and smoking while grandparents take over parenting.
Granny is a schoolteacher and more formal but grandfather, F. Franklin Peace, feels he is lucky to have grandchildren. Having married late in life, he feels lucky to have grandchildren and loves them without reserve. When Meredith endures mental and physical abuse from her mother she seeks the his comfort and love. When things go wrong with her mother, it is her grandfather who suggests how to survive her erratic behavior.
The story hinges on her grandfather's passion for bees. He has converted an old military bus in a honey bottling room. One learns many beekeeping details from this fourth generation beekeeper. As time passes he shares and shows how bees live, work and care for each other. Meredith is enchanted and soon both she and Matt learn to care for and love them.
Different types of bees have specific jobs. Bees use wings, bodies and antennae in convey information to keep the colony going. They may share what they know by dancing or wiggling their butts, moving antennae, putting heads certain ways and by forming special groups.
As the book progresses the reader learns that honey bees everywhere are vanishing and why. The grandfather further explains in detail what can be done to slow and halt this phenomenon. The memoir covers Meredith's life from ages five to fifteen, with a final closing chapter.
It's a lovely story with messages focusing on love and bees. I adored this read.
Granny is a schoolteacher and more formal but grandfather, F. Franklin Peace, feels he is lucky to have grandchildren. Having married late in life, he feels lucky to have grandchildren and loves them without reserve. When Meredith endures mental and physical abuse from her mother she seeks the his comfort and love. When things go wrong with her mother, it is her grandfather who suggests how to survive her erratic behavior.
The story hinges on her grandfather's passion for bees. He has converted an old military bus in a honey bottling room. One learns many beekeeping details from this fourth generation beekeeper. As time passes he shares and shows how bees live, work and care for each other. Meredith is enchanted and soon both she and Matt learn to care for and love them.
Different types of bees have specific jobs. Bees use wings, bodies and antennae in convey information to keep the colony going. They may share what they know by dancing or wiggling their butts, moving antennae, putting heads certain ways and by forming special groups.
As the book progresses the reader learns that honey bees everywhere are vanishing and why. The grandfather further explains in detail what can be done to slow and halt this phenomenon. The memoir covers Meredith's life from ages five to fifteen, with a final closing chapter.
It's a lovely story with messages focusing on love and bees. I adored this read.
