Wow - this book was amazing. I loved The Bees by Laline Paul - this book was just as good.
I really enjoyed learning about bees behaviour and it really made me want to keep bees!!
This book was so beautifully written, made me really appreciate how hard a break up of a family must be for a child. The relationship that Meredith had with her Grandpa was so touching, I loved him too! Made me wish mine had been around longer. There were times I wanted to cry & times I laughed out loud.
It made me realise just how important bees are and how intelligent they are, truly unbelievable. I’m going to fill my garden with bee friendly flowers.
Magical book that everyone should read.

I am, more than a little bit, in awe of this extraordinary memoir. It is beautifully written, brutally honest, funny and heartbreaking. As the sub-title says, it is a memoir of loss, courage and a girl saved by (honey) bees.

Meredith is five years old when her parents separate and her mother takes her and her brother to live with their grandparents in the Big Sur, California. Her mother is suffering from mental illness and Meredith’s grandmother is complicit in disguising this issue. This leaves Meredith confused, perplexed and disturbed by her mother’s outbursts, both physical and verbal. She tries very hard not to upset her mother but isn’t always successful. The poor child grew up walking on eggshells and I really felt for her.

Meredith finds comfort and solace in the company of her grandpa and his bee hives. She gradually understands the ways of the bees, how they protect each other and work together for the good of the hive. Through this understanding she comes to find some peace in the dysfunctional life she has been leading. There are some pointed analogies with human society.

The conversations between Meredith and her grandpa are touching and the narrative about the lives of the bees is truly emotive. The descriptions of the countryside had me smelling sage, eucalyptus and spring flowers.

The reasons for Meredith’s mother’s mental distress come late in the book and whilst they don’t exonerate her, they lead to a sad understanding of why she was that way.

This is a lovely book, despite the sadness it contains. Meredith’s resilience and humour about her situation are so impressive. She has my deepest respect. This is one of my books of the year.

Save the bees!

I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and HQ Stories in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much.

Beautifully written and so sad. But thank goodness for her grandfather and her brother. Their relationship is beautifully portrayed and I loved the way Grandpa used his bees to explain what he couldn't in words. I found the bee bit fascinating, although there was too much to take in at times.

This is a gem of a book that I could not wait to get back to each time I had a few spare minutes. The writing is smooth in style, never jarring, tilting along maintaining interest in the central character and intriguing and informing in equal measure with wonderful 'life of bees' detail. I say informing, though as a backyard beekeeper of five hives myself I knew all the facts sprinkled generously across the book, nevertheless to read them in the very personal journal of Meredith May was wonderful. In many ways this sums up my attitude to the book, it was like she was sharing secrets all the time, both of her childhood and family struggles and of the bees. In this way the Honey Bus drew the reader in and warmed them with that heady mix of sage and beeswax.
Happily this a difficult book to classify in any meaningful way, the happiness comes from its certain wide appeal to men, women, young people and nostalgic. I'll remember the book for a long time, not least of all when I next open the hives and remember little Meredith and her grandpa who I picture as the grandpa from The Waltons of yesteryear. I could not recommend this book highly enough, it's heart warming, inspiring of young people, encouraging those having a hard time fitting in or wondering if they have anything to offer; hopeful, what an antidote to negativity just when you need it most.

A beautifully written memoir of a young girl's troubled upbringing following the breakdown of her parents' marriage. Her mother is dysfunctional so her grandparents take responsibility for raising Meredith and her brother.

Their grandfather, who is a beekeeper, teaches them both valuable life lessons while they help him care for the hives, observing the bees' behaviour and watching how the community works together. The information on the bees is woven very cleverly into the story as the siblings are guided through their adolescence.

A poignant and thought provoking story that was a joy to read from beginning to end.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

When I started reading this, I had completely forgotten this was actually someone's life!

This book is fantastic, an absolute learning journey about bees and their lives as well as Meredith's story which is heart breaking at times but made her the person she is today!

Thank you to Harlequin UK, Meredith May and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an unbiased review.

I probably wouldn’t have come across The Honey Bus without an email from Netgalley, but I’m so glad I did. Meredith and Matthew’s parents broke up messily, and their mother took them across the country to live with her mother and stepfather. The origins of their mother’s long lasting mental illness and depression aren’t revealed until near the end of the book, but she takes little part in parenting them beyond keeping them alive, and most of the day to day stuff is done by their grandmother. However, it’s Grandpa, the beekeeper, who becomes their real haven, teaching them life lessons through observing and working with his hives of honeybees. His hives at home and in Big Sur, and the Honey Bus, a rigged up honey extraction plant in an old military bus, are Meredith’s sanctuary from her dysfunctional home life.

The narrative about the bees is enchanting, and as comforting as their contented hum on a summer’s day as they go from plant to plant collecting pollen. The detail is fascinating, the world of bees is revealed and lauded, those clever creatures who do everything for good reasons, and whose survival is so important to our own. The end message that we all need to step up and play our part to ensure these wonderful creatures survive and thrive is well made, and more poignant for being entirely non fictional (unlike films like Bee Movie).

I hope Meredith will be pleased to know that I’ve added a craft activity into both my children’s and youth club programmes to make wildflower seed bombs as an act of pro-bee guerrilla gardening.

Mereditth May has written a great story of her upbringing under trying circumstances. I really warmed to her and her brother and how they made a new life with their grand parents. I have never been to Big Sur but I could imagine how it looked and smelt.
The real genius of this book is how she weeves the bees and beekeeping into the fabric of the tale. The way that the bees behaviour is described is simple enough for a layman to understand but most importantly, it is accurate and not over sentimaental. As a beekeeper, I can't tell you how many stories that I have opened with bees as a theme but always been disappointed.
Beekeepers, naturalists and laymen alike will love this book. I shall be recommending this book when it comes out to lots of people.

I loved this book. It's different, it's unexpected, it's poignant, it's happy it's sad and it feels real.
The honey bus is a memoir. It's written through the voice of the author as she grows up, remarkably well, in a dysfunctional family. Saved only by her step grandfather, the protection of her grandmother, and the love she shares with her brother.
Her life in rural California is poor and isolated. To escape from the cruelty and neglect of her mother, who is going through her own crisis after leaving her husband, she spends more and more time with her grandfather who taught her about bees, their communities, their habits and their behaviour.
All the way through the first third of the book I kept wondering if it was going to get anywhere but it drew me in more and more. The true story grips you, you so want Meredith to succeed and you go with her through the highs and lows. The story of an age and the story of a family and the story of bees. This book deserves to succeed and I hope it does.

A relationship spirals out of control, leaving in its wake a tormented mother detached from her children, becoming ever more violent, and deranged. Meredith her little girl lonely, and confused seeks solace in her kindhearted grandpa, and his honey bus. Meredith becomes fascinated in the enchanting life of his bees, and their family bonds. Something that has sadly been lacking in her life.
A beautifully heartbreaking tail, with an underlying reminder of how important our bees are to our ecosystem. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Would recommend to others.
Thank you to Netgalley, Meredith May and HQ for the ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone should read The Honey Bus, a parable for our time, a beautifully composed memoir of, for the most part, a young girl - Meredith May - who, with her younger brother Matthew, experiences the despair of a broken home, separated parents and a dysfunctional mother. Moved away from their father and Rhode Island to live with grandparents in California. Step-grandpa is a beekeeper, has been for many years. A fount of knowledge about honey bees and their invaluable contribution to life. Uses an old military bus converted for use to harvest honey. Meredith is captivated and comes to learn everything about the husbandry of bees from grandpa, who loves her and her brother, unconditionally. Meredith's personality will be shaped by the life lessons learned in a bee yard. Every child should have that same opportunity to grow.

A story of love, hope, despair, redemption - a wake up call to help honey bees live closer to the way nature intended - bees that are threatened with Varroa destructor and a host of newer diseases such as Nosema gut pathogen and the Slow Bee Paralysis virus.

Meredith does her small part - she owes her Grandpa at least that much to continue his work - and she owes it to the bees...

The Honey Bus has left a lasting impression on me and has been an education about the vital need for us to help honey bees survive. Without them we are lost...

The highest possible recommendation from me. I urge you to read The Honey Bus.

My thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

‘The Honey Bus’ is a story written about long-ago memories through the lens of adult hindsight, which isn’t easy to do well. But May’s clean use of language and child-like perspective perfectly blends childhood memory with adult interpretation.

The bees are a constant source of illumination both for May and the reader. As she understands more about their behaviours, their priorities and their interconnectedness, May begins to make not only of her family situation but of the wider world too. And the detailed, engaging descriptions are a treat. It reminded me of the strong emotional connection and healing experienced by Elisabeth Tova Bailey as described in her gorgeous book, ‘The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating.’

There are plenty of upsetting and scary moments. But despite everything, it’s the love in May’s life that shines through. A perfect example of this is when Grandpa teaches Meredith and Matthew how to make candles from beeswax. The repetitive action soothes the troubled minds of the children, the appreciation of the gift given to them by the bees fills them with gratitude, the quiet, constant company of their big-hearted Grandpa brings them solace, and the carefully layered candles bring warmth and light to the family at the end of a very dark day.

Ultimately, I’m left with an awareness of just how non-judgemental this story is. It would have been easy to write from a place of victimhood and bitterness, but May sidesteps this at every turn. We see her pain, her mistrust and her anger, but at no point does the author ever let rip with the vitriol. This feels like the product of many years of soul-searching, and the end result is an inspiring, honest and empathetic story of a fractured family.

This is a beautifully written account of the breakdown of a family seen through the eyes of a young girl. I loved the way that she found her way through the difficult and challenging environment of her childhood by finding an interest in honey bees. There was no element of self pity in this book, and the upsetting elements were dealt with in a matter of fact and straight forward way that seemed very authentic to me. I had no real knowledge of honey bees before reading this book, but the information included about them was incredibly interesting and absorbing. Altogether a very satisfying read, and at the same time very thought provoking. This is a book that you remember long after you have read it, especially in the light of the rapidly declining numbers of bees.

Since reading Laline Paull’s “The Bees” and Maja Lunde’s “The History of Bees”, I have eagerly taken any opportunity to read similar, and The Honey Bus does not disappoint.

Meredith May has a difficult and traumatic childhood following the break up of her parents’ marriage, and the subsequent move across the USA with her mother and brother. Living with her grandparents, Meredith discovers bees – taking love and comfort from working on the honey bus with her Grandpa.

Beautifully written, sympathetic yet painful, The Honey Bus is a stunning memoir and testimony to the intelligence and beauty of bees.

A beautiful, bittersweet and ultimately uplifting memoir about what it is to be unwanted and unvalued, and then to find your own worth through both story and experience. The bees make a wonderful counterpoint to the narrative of sanctuary and belonging, and there are strong resonances with both work and craft teaching you to value your own ability to contribute to another person’s happiness. This is a wonderful tribute to May’s grandfather too. Simply gorgeous.

The Honey Bus by Meredith May is a brilliant book, one that I couldn’t put down until I finished it.
It was incredible the things that a 5 yr old Meredith and her brother had to endeavour; the anger and fighting between both parents, her mother withdrawing and becoming more and more depressed, a grandmother who didn’t really want to look after them. Good job she had a loving and caring grandfather and because of his love for honey bees and the way they lived and worked helped her try and relate this to what was happening in her life.
I actually learnt a lot about honey bees and have a new found respect- never again will I swat a bee!
An excellent read and would definitely recommend.

Absolutely loved this book. It was heart-warming but, didn't hid the fragility and instability of family life. It shows how much we learn as individuals as family relationships change. I'm also an expert on bees now!!!

I found this quite poignant and a totally engaging memoir about ordinary folk struggling with life. Mererdith May's life fell apart when her parents broke up acrimoniously and she, her mother and brother move across America to California to live with her grandparents. Her mother has immense psychological issues and cannot relate either to her children or the real world and grows increasingly withdrawn, self obsessed and violent. Meredith's saving grace is her Grandfather who keeps bees, this gentle man quietly guides Meredith from a tough childhood into adulthood via his beekeeping and is the true hero in her disruptive childhood. His understanding of humanity is totally absorbing and he always knows exactly when to impart information and when to try and encourage Meredith forward

Thought provoking about relationships and empathy with nature plus information about bees in relation to how a caring society should work for the greater good. A salutary lesson in today's turmoil. I, for one, will be looking at bees differently come the summer and try to identify the different behavioural traits around local hives. It is a totally compelling read and beautifully written which I recommend highly

An interesting read, a bit slow at times but different from a lot of things I’ve read. It’s a real page turner, a story of pain, forgiveness , growth and of course the bees. A beautiful memoir and story of surviving a dysfunctional mother into her grandfather’s love.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest review

4.5 stars
I’m not a great reader of memoirs but I do love bees, so that drew me to this book. When she is five years old, Meredith and her brother are taken to California by their mother when she and their father divorce. They live with her grandparents. Grandpa keeps bees on a fairly large scale and teaches the young Meredith about them. Her mother is obviously unstable, her grandmother cold and, to my view, cruel. I wanted to shake her grandpa to make him stand up for the children, but his method of supporting them was different.
Meredith began to compare and contrast the cooperative and altruistic life of the bees to her own car-crash of a family unit. I admired her later understanding of her mother and grandmother. It is no thanks to them that she turned into an empathic adult. The only slight downside, for me, was that this felt at times like a beekeeping manual. It was necessary to have Grandpa’s lessons in there but occasionally they repeated things we’d been told before. It’s a tough, thought-provoking but enjoyable read and it must have taken a huge amount of courage to write and publish it.