Reviews

A Murmer of Bees by Sofía Segovia, Sofía Segovia

ilovebooksalltoowell's review against another edition

5.0

Reading about the Spanish flu during the current pandemic was something else! We don’t always realize how lucky we are with the current knowledge we have and the way this pandemic was dealt with
I loved this book, it’s different from anything I read before. It teaches you a lot about Mexican history and tells you about beautiful characters in the story, anything further I will say will be a spoiler so I’ll leave it at that. Amazing book!

mali_22's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

marschwartz's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

jvsaucceda's review against another edition

5.0

What a splendid read. It was interesting to listen to a book with 100 chapters, but the rich story of Mexico, of its people, of the land was mesmerizing. I looked forward to reading this everyday because of the need to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy a good story. The lion and the wolf. The story of an old man. The Spanish Flu. Murder. Love. Life. I loved the connection I felt to this book and the story.

montsegc90's review against another edition

5.0

No me podía quedar sin dedicarle unas palabras a este libro. Últimamente tengo poco tiempo para leer, con una toddler de 3 y una beba de 10 meses, y cuando vi que eran casi 600 páginas de lectura, casi me arrepiento de comprarlo... pero en cuanto a empecé a leer me atrapó. La manera de contar la historia, los personajes, la fantasía, el toque de realidad en hechos y lugares... cada elemento volvió mágica para mi la lectura. Se me hizo ligera porque avanzaba más rápido de lo que sentía y nunca me aburrió. Es curioso pero desde el día en que terminé de leer, extraño a Simonopio. Muy recomendable!

abbyprinceatwood's review against another edition

2.0

This was just not for me. Excessive descriptions of uncomplicated things, an extremely drawn out story of characters I didn’t know well. I didn’t care for this.

cosmick8's review against another edition

5.0

i loved this book. i wept at the end. i loved the storytellers and the depth of their feelings. i loved the nonlinear-ness of it.

jencunn2024's review against another edition

3.0

This novel is fantastic but long. I am giving it only 3 stars because I think it could have been more succinct and still had the emotional impact. It was just too long with some dry spells. However, it is absolutely a wonderful tale filled with fable, legend, and superstition and told in oral narrative style. The story follows five protagonists, one in first person and the other four in third person. The reason the novel is so long is that you get different perspectives of the same events, but there is great value and advantage to the reader in having those extra insights. The timeline includes the Spanish flu and Mexican migration and agriculture from early to kid-century (20th) across several generations. I loved Segova’s subtle inclusions of Catholicism and as well as alternative beliefs and cultural practices. She stresses mysticism, faith, the natural, the supernatural and miracles. There is an element of magical realism throughout, very much a part of Mexican tradition. It starts with the story of the grandmother finding an abandoned baby and taking him on to raise him as hers. The boy has a birth defect and brings with him a warm of bees. Quickly labeled by society as a devil’s child, he and his newly adopted family will soon convince you otherwise. And yes, you do learn about the bees and their murmur. In addition, there is socio-political and criminal mayhem adding to the mystery.

ashleighjadereads's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jmodef's review against another edition

5.0

A story written in a language of heritage and landscapes, this story ignites the senses.