This is one of my favourite reads of this year. The book comprises three mini-stories. Each timeline is populated with wonderfully human characters who are flawed and frustrating, but full of passion, whether they show it through having the courage to start again, or putting their own life at risk. Each mini story is tied together by the humble bee. The idea that a creature as small as a bee is so crucial to human life was mirrored in the book as a whole: it’s the struggles and efforts of individuals that can have a larger impact on the world. The book was compelling and moving but, while it was an uplifting read, it had a haunting depth to it, as the plight of bees that the book describes is very real. I will be pressing a copy into all the hands that will take it.

My Facebook feed frequently features posts urging us to Save The Bees; I now know what to do if I find a bee on the ground (feed it sugar water in a teaspoon and move it to safety); my friends and I are wont to shake our fists and rant at Monsanto and GM crops. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is known outside of apiarist circles and we are worried. Very worried. It is against this backdrop that The History of Bees sits, a book that looks at how science treated bees in the past, the present and in the near future.

In the 19th century William Savage, a vain and earnest young man, designs a revolutionary new hive so that honey can be harvested, and bees studied, more easily.

In 2007 George insists on building his own hives using plans his family have always used (Savage's), never buying in pre-fabricated hives, living on the thin line between profit and loss as he travels the country with his bees, taking them to pollinate other farmers' crops. He carries the weight of his family tradition carefully and seriously and wants his son to take over when he finishes college. When CCD strikes neighbouring bee farms, he trusts that his way, his hives, will make the difference and keep his bees safe.

In the late 20th Century Tao and Kuan, parents of Wei Wen, work as pollinators in a world where there are no bees and china only manages to grow some food because it has vast numbers of poorly paid labourers to perform the arduous task.

Ms Lunde deftly weaves the three story strands showing us how the demands of science and technology, and the arrogance of humankind has detrimentally affected the natural world. This is also a book about parents and sons, family traditions, and love.

Above all, this is a book about hope and that maybe, just maybe, it's not too late for us all. I'm off to plant some flowers.

This will be published on 22 aug

'In order to live in nature, with nature, we must detach ourselves from the nature in ourselves...'

I really enjoyed this. Eventually. The History of Bees tells three separate stories, all intrinsically linked by bees, weaving through a combination of future dystopian, historical fiction and contemporary literature. William is...

This was such an interesting and unique concept. I've read family sagas before, which manage to weave the story of generations of families together, but I've never read anything with such a wide scope of history centred around bees. I have to say I enjoyed Tao's story the most. The future dystopian world was well described and unique (yet ultimately also scary in its similarity to 'real life'). Right from the start I liked Tao and her family unit, and I was intrigued to learn more about her world.

William's story, although a slow burner in the beginning, picks up about 40% when the issues with his son Edmund become apparent, and he begins his research. Though I found him a little naive about his son's 'problems', and at times just plain stupid. His development of the hive without actually looking at any research before hand - knowing he was a previous academic, was something a self described 'learned man' wouldn't do. No wonder his mentor is so disparaging.

Seeing as I don't read much contemporary fiction, it came as no surprise that I didn't really enjoy George's story until about 2/3rds in. I found the pacing slow, and it was very much about familial relations, particularly between father and son, rather than the bees. I also found George quite patronising at times, although I think this was down to his portrayal as a salts of the earth farmer, without any appreciation for things other than the survival of his business. As his story started to link into Tao's, and then William's, it became infinitely better and also helped to broaden my understanding of Tao's future. It also served as a good bridge between Tao and William' stories.

I do think it's Tao's story that makes this a 4* review for me. Her story was very fast paced and full of suspense. The scenes in the hospital and in the unsafe districts were harrowing, and I was constantly rushing through the following chapters to get back to her story. If it wasn't for this pace I might have given up on the book, but I'm so glad I persevered.

The eventual unravelling of the stories and how they are all linked was beautifully done. From George reminiscing in his desolate fields and his destruction of the charts, to Tao reading in the library and her presentation of The History of Bees, I thought the conclusions were wonderfully done and interlinked marvellously. This was a lovely, yet sometimes scarily real, imaginative story.