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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
The Beekeeper's Promise is an intensely powerful WWII historical fiction about trauma, the power of courage, and the road to healing.
This book had so many things that made it diffficult to put down- beekeeping in a French chateau, spies, underground tunnels, romance and strong female characters. It is told through two alternating timelines.
During WWII, Eliane works as a beekeeper at Chateau Bellevue. When the chateau becones living quarters for the German military, Eliane and her loved ones are forced to make some difficult and risky decisions.
In current times, Abi is escaping a life of solitude following an accident which killed her husband. She goes on a yoga retreat to France where her life yakes an interesting turn. One day, she meets Sara and Thomas, who now run Chateau Bellevue as a wedding venue. They offer her a job which she accepts.
During their shifts, Sara tells Abi the story of Eliane. Abi begins to heal from the trauma of her abusive marriage as she compares the strength, courage and resistance of Eliane and her family to her own situation.
Parts of Abi's story were too unrealistic for me, which was the only thing keeping me from rating this book 5 stars. I did enjoy how Elaine's story helped Abi work through her current problems. We can learn a lot from history - which is why historical fiction is my favorite genre.
I really liked how the behavior of bees was used to help Eliane and her loved ones find courage during the most trying times of WWII. Overall, I definitely recommend this book!
This book had so many things that made it diffficult to put down- beekeeping in a French chateau, spies, underground tunnels, romance and strong female characters. It is told through two alternating timelines.
During WWII, Eliane works as a beekeeper at Chateau Bellevue. When the chateau becones living quarters for the German military, Eliane and her loved ones are forced to make some difficult and risky decisions.
In current times, Abi is escaping a life of solitude following an accident which killed her husband. She goes on a yoga retreat to France where her life yakes an interesting turn. One day, she meets Sara and Thomas, who now run Chateau Bellevue as a wedding venue. They offer her a job which she accepts.
During their shifts, Sara tells Abi the story of Eliane. Abi begins to heal from the trauma of her abusive marriage as she compares the strength, courage and resistance of Eliane and her family to her own situation.
Parts of Abi's story were too unrealistic for me, which was the only thing keeping me from rating this book 5 stars. I did enjoy how Elaine's story helped Abi work through her current problems. We can learn a lot from history - which is why historical fiction is my favorite genre.
I really liked how the behavior of bees was used to help Eliane and her loved ones find courage during the most trying times of WWII. Overall, I definitely recommend this book!
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
medium-paced
I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this story- which is very much the story of Eliana, a young woman living in France during WWII. The present day story of Abi is not nearly as prominent.
Eliana manages to hold on to her integrity and her composure as her world is destroyed. She does her best to just keep keepin’ on while playing a fairly minor, yet still potentially dangerous, role in the French Resistance. She makes it through the war years, and is able to pick up the pieces and go on.
Picking up the pieces and going on in the face of personal tragedy is the lesson Abi needs to learn, but the connection between the two stories is slim, and, in my opinion, a little forced.
Although I never really felt the connection between the two stories, and although I’m not much in the mood for reading about man’s inhumanity to man, I did, slowly, get drawn into Eliana’s story. Abi’s story was pretty easy to guess early on, and really didn’t have much of an impact for me.
It’s too well written to be a 3 star book so I went with 4, but it wasn’t exactly 4 star enjoyment for me.
Eliana manages to hold on to her integrity and her composure as her world is destroyed. She does her best to just keep keepin’ on while playing a fairly minor, yet still potentially dangerous, role in the French Resistance. She makes it through the war years, and is able to pick up the pieces and go on.
Picking up the pieces and going on in the face of personal tragedy is the lesson Abi needs to learn, but the connection between the two stories is slim, and, in my opinion, a little forced.
Although I never really felt the connection between the two stories, and although I’m not much in the mood for reading about man’s inhumanity to man, I did, slowly, get drawn into Eliana’s story. Abi’s story was pretty easy to guess early on, and really didn’t have much of an impact for me.
It’s too well written to be a 3 star book so I went with 4, but it wasn’t exactly 4 star enjoyment for me.
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Biavlerens løfte er en smuk historie om at rejse dig mod modgang og finde din indre styrke. Fiona formåede at bringe et stykke af historien til live, og har skabt en spænding om styrke, håb, tab og nye begyndelser.
Fortællingen skifter mellem to kvinder historie hvilket er set før, men som ikke altid fremstår så vellykket som i denne bog. Bogen indeholder mange fascinerende detaljer om de rædsler den franske civile befolkning måtte udholde. Den nationale stolthed der medførte stor vrede mod tyskerne. Deres egen regering der valgte samarbejde og de farer de hver dag måtte trodse, selvom de risikerede at ende i en arbejdslejr.
Historien var godt researchet, og fra karaktererne til forfatterens indstilling evnede at gøre begivenhederne virkelige, og skabte hos læseren en forståelse af at fremtiden kan indeholde glæde – uanset hvad vi har stået overfor – hvis vi har modet til at jagte den.
Sproget flød glat hen over siderne, og med lige nok beskrivelse af krigen, landskabet, følelserne og det daglige liv til at fastholde læsernes interesse. Abi og Elianes historier krydsede hinanden på uforudsete måder, og det skabte en fantastisk dynamik i historien. To dristige, modstandsdygtige kvinder fra forskellige generationer, der begge genopbygger deres liv efter at have overvundet kamp og strid.
Biavlerens løfte er en smuk historie om at holde fast i den man er – skrevet på en veltalende og charmerende måde.
Fortællingen skifter mellem to kvinder historie hvilket er set før, men som ikke altid fremstår så vellykket som i denne bog. Bogen indeholder mange fascinerende detaljer om de rædsler den franske civile befolkning måtte udholde. Den nationale stolthed der medførte stor vrede mod tyskerne. Deres egen regering der valgte samarbejde og de farer de hver dag måtte trodse, selvom de risikerede at ende i en arbejdslejr.
Historien var godt researchet, og fra karaktererne til forfatterens indstilling evnede at gøre begivenhederne virkelige, og skabte hos læseren en forståelse af at fremtiden kan indeholde glæde – uanset hvad vi har stået overfor – hvis vi har modet til at jagte den.
Sproget flød glat hen over siderne, og med lige nok beskrivelse af krigen, landskabet, følelserne og det daglige liv til at fastholde læsernes interesse. Abi og Elianes historier krydsede hinanden på uforudsete måder, og det skabte en fantastisk dynamik i historien. To dristige, modstandsdygtige kvinder fra forskellige generationer, der begge genopbygger deres liv efter at have overvundet kamp og strid.
Biavlerens løfte er en smuk historie om at holde fast i den man er – skrevet på en veltalende og charmerende måde.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No