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The Honey Bus

A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees

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 An extraordinary story of a girl, her grandfather and one of nature’s most mysterious and beguiling creatures: the honeybee.

Meredith May recalls the first time a honeybee crawled on her arm. She was five years old, her parents had recently split and suddenly she found herself in the care of her grandfather, an eccentric beekeeper who made honey in a rusty old military bus in the yard. That first close encounter was at once terrifying and exhilarating for May, and in that moment she discovered that everything she needed to know about life and family was right before her eyes, in the secret world of bees.

May turned to her grandfather and the art of beekeeping as an escape from her troubled reality. Her mother had receded into a volatile cycle of neurosis and despair and spent most days locked away in the bedroom. It was during this pivotal time in May’s childhood that she learned to take care of herself, forged an unbreakable bond with her grandfather and opened her eyes to the magic and wisdom of nature.

The bees became a guiding force in May’s life, teaching her about family and community, loyalty and survival, and the unequivocal relationship between a mother and her child. Part memoir, part beekeeping odyssey, The Honey Bus is an unforgettable story about finding home in the most unusual of places and how a tiny, little-understood insect could save a life. Agricultural & Food Sciences Animal Husbandry Animals Biological Sciences Outdoors & Nature Science Women Memoir
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This book delves into a little girl's life and shows how a relationship with her Grandfather and his lifelong love of bees, and the life lessons she began to learn as she moved into adulthood. it is by turns informative and poignant...and manages to end on a high note despite global concerns about the bee population. I recommend it!

A good read...

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The Honey Bus completely broke my heart. I felt so much sadness for Meredith that I just wanted to hold her and tell her she would be okay. Her grandfather was pure love, and losing him had me in tears. Learning more about her mother’s abuse made the story even more painful and real.

This memoir is unforgettable, deeply moving, and quietly inspiring. I need a hard copy of this book. 🐝💛

Deeply moving & Quietly Inspiring

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