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The Honey Bus
- A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees
- Narrated by: Candace Thaxton
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Women
Summary
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.
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What listeners say about The Honey Bus
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ruby212
- 12-06-20
It gets good!
I was really put off by the narrator at first but if you keep listening it’s actually a great voice for the story. Great tale of covert trauma and how a young girls connects with bees. Really beautiful.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Virginia B
- 05-05-20
Bees 10 Story 3
As a beekeeper, I really wanted to love this book. I can completely understand why bees and the grandfather with his honey bus saved this girl, but jeeeeeze, the mother and grandmother were such losers and the performance was annoying. The narrator sounded like a voice from a Japanese anime, kind of snarky, lacking depth. The author's descriptions were vivid, I'll give her that.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Apple
- 24-08-19
Really slow
Couldn’t decide if I disliked the annoying narrator or the flowery writing more. Lots of good reviews for this book, but it just didn’t resonate with me.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- BerkshireFam
- 03-07-19
Enjoyed the story; not the narrator so much
I thought the story was interesting and enjoyable, but I found the narrator annoying. She did a good job using distinguishing voices for various characters, but the way she had the main character talk almost caused me to quit.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jezia
- 13-06-19
Really enjoyed this
In fact I listened to it twice in a row and will listen again! I am a backyard beekeeper and the product of a broken family. Both aspects of the story resonate with me. The bee information is accurate, and it is a good depiction of how and why the bees are so important to me. Wonderful story and great performance
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tess Villa
- 31-05-19
Touching story
Loved it! Such a beautifully written and touching memoir, my heart exploded. I raised my 2 girls in Carmel Valley, the old airstrip met where our backyard ended. I did not like the narrator at all. She would read in a normal tone then fluctuate into a raspy nasal high pitch. It was unnerving . I so wished the author had read the book. Several times I wanted to stop listening and get the book, which by the way includes some actual photos of grandpa, Mathew, mom,granny , grandpas hives etc.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Zelda
- 29-08-20
Excellent memoir
This memoir combines the coming of age story with wonderful nature lessons. It is engaging and at times heartbreaking yet offers a message of love and forgiveness
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- P. Smith
- 29-06-20
Good in every way
Really enjoyed every aspect of this story-from learning about bees to this woman's resilience. I was considering getting bees until I listened to this... This book is suitable for all ages.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ei
- 23-06-20
loved the honey bus
I enjoyed listening to this interesting memoir and I loved how life related to bees
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- WalkingGreatGrandma
- 29-05-21
A book to remember
A beautiful memoir of a wise man, his bees, and the hope he brought to his granddaughter. I’m going to buy the paper copy to mark and keep in my library.