Originally published in April 2021, The Music of Bees is a debut novel written by author and beekeeper Eileen Garvin. It is set in the small town of Hood River in Oregon where Garvin also resides. She derives her stories from her own experiences for instance the 2010 memoir How to Be a Sister. Though fictional, this novel delves into the territory of beekeeping as Garvin herself has about sixty thousand honeybees.
The narrative follows Alice Holtzman a middle-aged woman who inherited her parent's farming venture. However, rather than continue growing apple orchards she eventually becomes an avid beekeeper. During one of her errands, she almost hit a paraplegic teen named Jake with her truck that is carrying hives of bees. Their encounter leads to a friendship once Alice begins explaining the complex lives of bees to the teenager. Jakes aspired to pursue a musical career but an accident in high school left him paralyzed in a wheelchair. Moreover, he has a toxic relationship with his father and wishes to leave his home. Meanwhile, Harry who has a criminal record wanders into the farm and Alice offers him employment. Eventually, Jakes also joins them and they work towards protecting the population of bees from decimation.
Garvin brings together three characters grappling with their personal issues as they build an unlikely friendship towards healing. The science of beekeeping is the basis of their bond as they create a new reality and future for themselves. Therefore, the structure, solidarity, and complexity exhibited by bees act as a metaphor in the narrative.
