The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Music of Bees is about 3 people and how their lives interweave. It takes place in an idyllic setting in Oregon near a river and lots of nature. You get splendid descriptions of the verdant scenery, white-capped waters, and the sentinel mountains. Jake is an 18-year-old boy who had an accident, Harry is an aimless mid-20s guy, and Alice is a forty-something year-old woman who keeps bees as a hobby. You get to meet them individually first, learn some backstory, and then move through their meeting. You get to learn about bees and how the unexpected can happen to change your life.
I loved this novel. There were so many things that worked well and Eileen Garvin set the right tone from the very beginning. Oh boy, can she write a sentence! I just felt love and full of warmth while reading. It was like sitting on the porch on a warm, spring day with a nice breeze while drinking some lemonade and having a chat with your oldest friend. The characters were so relatable. I found something of myself in each of the three main protagonists including feeling the need to change (and not knowing how), forging a new path, and regret. What would my life look like if I made different decisions in the past or even in the present? The language that was used and the phrasing of the words helped to create a strong sense of what each character was going through. Speaking of a young person and not having the words to describe something but then he “shouldn’t have to have the words” or “in that moment, he felt broken in a way that could not be undone.” Eileen wrote beautifully and evoked anger in me with the dad and corporate greed overriding morals. I could literally feel my chest tighten. This novel had a lot of things to say around lessons but was able to do it disguised in the general telling of the stories. You can learn to stand up for yourself. You don’t have to let your past decide who you are or where you are going. You can make your own decisions and change if you don’t like something. The Music of Bees resonated with me and this sentence hit hardest, “why was Harry a passenger in the vehicle that was his life?” What am I doing?
Read this.
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Tag: Accident
The Existence As a Jellyfish and Other Poignant Ways To Survive Life
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death by Jean-Dominique Bauby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the story of Jean-Dominique Bauby in his own words. It is sad but incredible how the book actually got written and learning about what he had to endure. It covers the time he spent in hospital as well the day it all happened. It is a short book with short chapters. You are able to quickly get through it but there is something that makes you want to slow down and really try and understand what is being described. When reading I totally forgot that he was French and that this was taking place in France until the communication system was outlined. It is amazing what he was able to convey with only his left eye. His writing comes across beautifully. He evokes a sense of longing and sadness but doesn’t come across in a woe-is-me way. Jean-Dominique is funny and witty such as when he states “his communication system disqualifies repartee” and “not only was I…reduced to the existence of a jellyfish.” He doesn’t take himself too seriously and allows the reader to reflect on his use of his imagination when his “mind takes flight like a butterfly.” The title that gets sprinkled throughout is poignant and uplifting. His reflections point the readers to enjoy the little everyday moments or “gusts of happiness”. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly allows the reader to slow down and absorb how life could change in a moment.
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