A Keeper of Bees: Notes on Hive and Home

I do not own a digital copy of this book so I can't help you other kindle users in that regard. However, I can tell you that this book is surprisingly interesting. The way the intimate details of the author's personal life unravel eloquently in their relationship to bees truly keeps the reader intrigued. I can only describe it as "intellectual suspense." Very stimulating stuff. I was not expecting an autobiography when I picked this book up, and honestly my initial thought was "bees really?" -- but I was pleasantly surprised by Wallace's willingness to intimately explore this natural motif that has both invaded and defined her life.

Allison Wallace has written a lovely book in an engaging voice that blends memoir with fascinating details about the lives of bees. It's a project that could only come from the hard (and often funny) lessons of firsthand experience as well as careful scholarship about bees and bee lore. What makes this book especially inviting is that she is just as interested in the lives of humans--the "hives" that we build and call home, what work means to us, and how we construct meaningful lives. The book is beautifully written, and is, in the opinion of this reader, wise, funny, and brave. Brave because, while the author never loses sight of the intricate lives of bees, she gives us just enough information about her own life to reveal vulnerability and to serve as an interesting mentor. She invites us to think about our own unfinished lives--what is missing, and what might count as a good destination. She brings together experiences in North Carolina, Maine, Arkansas, and the post-Hurricane Katrina Gulf Coast landscape, but never forgets that the star of the book is the bee. Much to enjoy in this delightful book!

As someone who is interested in the replenishment of our flora and fauna on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, especially following the catistrophic event of Hurricane Katrina, Ms. Wallace's book is a needed respite from the storm. However, it is lacking in her musings about her personal life and should have been more clearly expounded on for the reader to understand. What I did find most enjoyable was reading the scientific facts on the honey bees, and I do hope we will hear more from Ms. Wallace, but with more thoughts and observations on the most interesting character she so hesitantly, but humorously mentions; that being the character of her mother. Both Ms. Wallace and this brave lady,Mama Lupio, sound like they could be characters much more fascinating than the "birds and the bees."

I never thought a book about bees, entwined with one's life, could be so interesting, deeply moving,insightful, and yet funny, too. I had to finish it before I could put it down. We need more books from Ms. Wallace.

You would not believe some of the things bees do! Fun and fascinating facts about honeybee behavior fill this volume--the chase scenes, sex, and murder might make you wonder what TV shows those bees have been watching while you thought they were busy making honey. The book's seven chapters could each stand alone as a lovely, informative essay, but taken together, they tell the story of Wallace's own journey through life as a beekeeper, from mail-ordering her first queen to witnessing her first--of many--swarms. She draws thoughtful parallels between human and honeybee behavior, making you see the world in new ways. There's glorious prose here, soaring across the page, and wisdom aplenty, but there's also laugh-out-loud humor and loads of honeybee gee-whizzery. If you gravitate towards writers like Annie Dillard, David Quammen, Joy Williams, and Sue Hubbell, you'll treasure this book.