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candacesiegle_greedyreader 's review for:
The Murmur of Bees
by Sofía Segovia
At first, "The Murmur of Bees" seemed familiar. It's set in the same period (Revolutionary Mexico) and basic location (northern Mexico) as "Like Water for Chocolate." There's a gentle magic realism that does not verge on fantasy; the magical cooking in one, and a child's protective bee swarm in the other. If you've has some experience in the Magic Realism realm there is not much special in this novel, but it is an enjoyable story, well written, and ultimately winds up as a satisfying read.
The child protected by the swarm of bees is Simonopio, a baby found abandoned and taken for dead because of those bees. He has a severe cleft palate which makes some of the locals uncomfortable, but the central landowners in the family take him in and love him, becoming used to the swarm that nests near him and often follows him. As he grows it becomes clear that Simonopio has a second sense not only about nature but about his family's future and a danger they will face.
This novel grew on me as it developed and the Morales family survives the Revolution, the Spanish flu, and changing economics. "The Murmur of Bees" is a treat and a pleasure, and not a page too long.
The child protected by the swarm of bees is Simonopio, a baby found abandoned and taken for dead because of those bees. He has a severe cleft palate which makes some of the locals uncomfortable, but the central landowners in the family take him in and love him, becoming used to the swarm that nests near him and often follows him. As he grows it becomes clear that Simonopio has a second sense not only about nature but about his family's future and a danger they will face.
This novel grew on me as it developed and the Morales family survives the Revolution, the Spanish flu, and changing economics. "The Murmur of Bees" is a treat and a pleasure, and not a page too long.