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cookingwithkathy 's review for:
The Murmur of Bees
by Sofía Segovia
I listened to the audiobook, which was well done. In particular, the actor who voiced Francisco Jr. was very good at bringing that character to life.
I'm not a huge fan of magical realism, but in this book it was not too crazy. I could almost believe there was an orphaned, disfigured boy named Simonopio, who was always surrounded by bees, and that these bees communicated with him, helped him see the future, and kept him safe.
Simonopio was adopted by the land owners, Francisco and Beatrice, and raised as their godson. He was crucial to the family's success. At one point, he brought orange blossoms to Francisco, which allowed the man to change his crops and keep his land during a time the Agrarian movement. Simonopio was also the guardian and savior of the son, Francisco Jr.
Most of the story takes place in northeastern Mexico a hundred years ago, against the backdrop of the Mexican civil war and the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. **It was really interesting to read the descriptions of how the flu affected the townspeople, during our Covid19 pandemic!** A famous folktale of the lion and the coyote is also a strong theme woven through the story.
I loved how it ended, with Francisco going home to reunite with Simonopio many years later. My only criticism is that there are too many chapters (100), and that the ending of the book dragged on way too long. That is the reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 4.
I'm not a huge fan of magical realism, but in this book it was not too crazy. I could almost believe there was an orphaned, disfigured boy named Simonopio, who was always surrounded by bees, and that these bees communicated with him, helped him see the future, and kept him safe.
Simonopio was adopted by the land owners, Francisco and Beatrice, and raised as their godson. He was crucial to the family's success. At one point, he brought orange blossoms to Francisco, which allowed the man to change his crops and keep his land during a time the Agrarian movement. Simonopio was also the guardian and savior of the son, Francisco Jr.
Most of the story takes place in northeastern Mexico a hundred years ago, against the backdrop of the Mexican civil war and the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. **It was really interesting to read the descriptions of how the flu affected the townspeople, during our Covid19 pandemic!** A famous folktale of the lion and the coyote is also a strong theme woven through the story.
I loved how it ended, with Francisco going home to reunite with Simonopio many years later. My only criticism is that there are too many chapters (100), and that the ending of the book dragged on way too long. That is the reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 4.