Bees in June: A hope-filled historical novel set in a 1960s small town and infused with magical realismUncle Dixon always told Rennie to tell the bees everything, but somewhere along the way, Rennie forgot. Now, with her life at its lowest, she begins to see the bees in a new light. Will she believe again in the magic of the hives, and will she listen as the bees try to guide her home? Perfect for fans of Sarah Addison Allen, Margaret Renkl, and Rachel Linden. It's 1969, and the town of Spark Tennessee, is just as excited about the moon landing as the rest of the country. Rennie Hendricks is grieving and trying to heal from the unimaginable loss of her infant son. She had hoped a child would repair the cracks in her marriage to her husband, Tiny, but the tragedy has only served to illuminate his abusive character. Trying to relieve some of the financial stress that inflames Tiny's anger, Rennie accepts a position cooking at the local diner. Hidden away in a kitchen making delicious food, she rediscovers the joy she finds in cooking for others, and as she spends more time with her new boss, she realizes there are more options for women than she thought possible. One of the benefits of her new job is that she can bring meals to her beloved Uncle Dixon, the man who practically raised her along with her late Aunt Eugenia, a woman unkindly labeled as a witch by most of the town. What those people didn't understand is that Eugenia was a healer and connected to power they couldn't grasp. Rennie thinks her elderly uncle is confused when he talks about communicating with his bees, but then she starts to see them glow, leading her toward safety time and time again. Could it be that these bees, discovered long ago by her Aunt Eugenia, are magical and trying to tell her something? And what about the new neighbor, Ambrose Beckett, who seems to understand the bees too. Is he being truthful about why he has moved to Spark, or is there more to him than meets the eye? Hope-filled and infused with magical realism, Bees in June captures Rennie's journey back to her true self, creating a rewarding life that the bees showed her was possible if she only believed in herself and the magic that surrounds her. |
Contents
Chapter 32 | 181 |
Chapter 33 | 182 |
Chapter 34 | 187 |
Chapter 35 | 189 |
Chapter 36 | 196 |
Chapter 37 | 198 |
Chapter 38 | 204 |
Chapter 39 | 209 |
Chapter 8 | 58 |
Chapter 9 | 59 |
Chapter 10 | 64 |
Chapter 11 | 69 |
Chapter 12 | 72 |
Chapter 13 | 78 |
Chapter 14 | 90 |
Chapter 15 | 91 |
Chapter 16 | 99 |
Chapter 17 | 101 |
Chapter 18 | 106 |
Chapter 19 | 111 |
Chapter 20 | 114 |
Chapter 21 | 121 |
Chapter 22 | 122 |
Chapter 23 | 129 |
Chapter 24 | 136 |
Chapter 25 | 137 |
Chapter 26 | 145 |
Chapter 27 | 146 |
Chapter 28 | 158 |
Chapter 29 | 159 |
Chapter 30 | 166 |
Chapter 31 | 167 |
Chapter 40 | 214 |
Chapter 41 | 215 |
Chapter 42 | 223 |
Chapter 43 | 239 |
Chapter 44 | 242 |
Chapter 45 | 243 |
Chapter 46 | 254 |
Chapter 47 | 259 |
Chapter 48 | 260 |
Chapter 49 | 266 |
Chapter 50 | 273 |
Chapter 51 | 274 |
Chapter 52 | 283 |
Chapter 53 | 287 |
Chapter 54 | 291 |
Chapter 55 | 303 |
Chapter 56 | 318 |
Chapter 57 | 324 |
Chapter 58 | 328 |
Authors Note | 331 |
Acknowledgments | 333 |
Discussion Questions | 335 |
About the Author | 340 |