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Local Honey
Jim Yarrow, a wounded World War II vet, sees his luck change when he finds work as a police officer. He now thrives in his beloved hometown on the Merrimack River. Content with his job, his long-term friendships, and his wife and kids, he never expected the girl he loved in high school to reappear in his life.
Becky Bivens fled Riverbend, Massachusetts, in 1941, after her mother’s crimes were exposed. She’s lived a hardscrabble life ever since, and those struggles now help her understand her mother’s troubling choices.
In 1951, Becky returns, intent on building a simple produce stand on the land where she once lived. She intends to raise bees, sell honey, and restore her shattered life, while also helping other displaced women.
Riverbend, like many small towns, is entering a period of great economic expansion, while still recovering from a war that wreaked death and havoc on soldiers and families. However, the town’s growth comes with strict social rules and crippling class divisions. The war widows and homeless people who find refuge at Becky’s farm become social outcasts who face unsettling choices. Becky turns a blind eye to the "services" some of them offer as they squat on her property.
Local Honey is a story of America’s haves vs have-nots. It’s part love triangle, part class struggle, and part dreamy window into the lost New England of the 1950s. The backdrop includes seashore towns, rural farms, the gritty slums of Boston, and brief flashbacks of battlefields.
In a community that should be basking in the “winner’s aftermath” of a terrible war, all should be good for everyone. But it isn’t.
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Shawn P. McCarthy is a Massachusetts-based author who explores the history of New England’s mountains, lakes, rivers, and seashores.
Becky Bivens fled Riverbend, Massachusetts, in 1941, after her mother’s crimes were exposed. She’s lived a hardscrabble life ever since, and those struggles now help her understand her mother’s troubling choices.
In 1951, Becky returns, intent on building a simple produce stand on the land where she once lived. She intends to raise bees, sell honey, and restore her shattered life, while also helping other displaced women.
Riverbend, like many small towns, is entering a period of great economic expansion, while still recovering from a war that wreaked death and havoc on soldiers and families. However, the town’s growth comes with strict social rules and crippling class divisions. The war widows and homeless people who find refuge at Becky’s farm become social outcasts who face unsettling choices. Becky turns a blind eye to the "services" some of them offer as they squat on her property.
Local Honey is a story of America’s haves vs have-nots. It’s part love triangle, part class struggle, and part dreamy window into the lost New England of the 1950s. The backdrop includes seashore towns, rural farms, the gritty slums of Boston, and brief flashbacks of battlefields.
In a community that should be basking in the “winner’s aftermath” of a terrible war, all should be good for everyone. But it isn’t.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Shawn P. McCarthy is a Massachusetts-based author who explores the history of New England’s mountains, lakes, rivers, and seashores.
417 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 27, 2025
20 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Shawn McCarthy
33 books239 followersI'm the author of ten books, with a heavy focus on historical fiction.
My historical novels include:
- "Local Honey" - Set in 1951, it's the story of a small town's "haves vs have-nots" in post-war America. It’s part love triangle, part class struggle, and part dreamy window into the lost New England of the 1950s. The backdrop includes seashore towns, rural farms, the gritty slums of Boston, and brief flashbacks to World War II battlefields.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
- "The Puzzle Box Chronicles" a six-book series set in Boston, Cape Cod and the American West in 1891. it focuses on an important time of transition in America, when electric lighting is spreading across the country like a wave.
Its locations range from private luxury train cars to seedy back alleys. Even the sparks created by that time period's "War of the Currents" can't fully illuminate the darkest parts of that history. It starts with Book 1, "The Wreck of the Gossamer."
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
- "The Sea Glass Empire" a collection of five short stories that raise questions about how external influences can sometimes have a huge impact on the trajectory of people’s lives.
I've also written two non-fiction books, (one for John Wiley & Sons and one for the National Society of Professional Engineers) and authored articles for The Washington Post, Tribune Publishing, United Press International, the Associate Press and various Smithsonian Institution publications.
My historical novels include:
- "Local Honey" - Set in 1951, it's the story of a small town's "haves vs have-nots" in post-war America. It’s part love triangle, part class struggle, and part dreamy window into the lost New England of the 1950s. The backdrop includes seashore towns, rural farms, the gritty slums of Boston, and brief flashbacks to World War II battlefields.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
- "The Puzzle Box Chronicles" a six-book series set in Boston, Cape Cod and the American West in 1891. it focuses on an important time of transition in America, when electric lighting is spreading across the country like a wave.
Its locations range from private luxury train cars to seedy back alleys. Even the sparks created by that time period's "War of the Currents" can't fully illuminate the darkest parts of that history. It starts with Book 1, "The Wreck of the Gossamer."
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
- "The Sea Glass Empire" a collection of five short stories that raise questions about how external influences can sometimes have a huge impact on the trajectory of people’s lives.
I've also written two non-fiction books, (one for John Wiley & Sons and one for the National Society of Professional Engineers) and authored articles for The Washington Post, Tribune Publishing, United Press International, the Associate Press and various Smithsonian Institution publications.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 15, 2025
[I'm sometimes asked by other book reviewers to write (or significantly contribute to) a review that they can then submit to other websites under their own names. This is one of those. - Avril]
I picked this up thinking it would be a quiet story about a woman selling honey, but it ended up being a lot more than that. Local Honey is really about a small town in the 1950s trying to move forward, while some folks are still stuck in the past—and not always for the best reasons.
The main character, Jim Yarrow, is a local cop dealing with grief over his younger brother’s death and some messy town politics. When Becky Bivens—an old flame from his youth—comes back into town and sets up a little roadside stand, it stirs up all kinds of trouble. People remember her family for reasons that aren’t entirely clear at first, but as the story unfolds, you start to understand why there's so much gossip and resentment.
It’s a slow burn, for sure. Not much action, but I was never bored. The writing feels grounded and real, and I liked how it captured the feeling of a town on the edge of change. There’s a lot going on underneath what seems like a simple plot: questions about trust, second chances, class, and who really gets to belong somewhere.
I especially liked the beekeeping parts—kind of meditative and surprisingly insightful. Also, the scenes between Jim and Becky felt honest. They have a lot of history, and you can feel it even when they’re just talking about honey or the past.
My only gripe is that one of the side characters (Mary Jane) was a little over-the-top sometimes, but even that kind of made sense given the small-town setting. Everyone knows someone like her.
Overall, this was a thoughtful and quietly emotional read. If you like books that focus more on people than plot twists, this is worth your time.
I picked this up thinking it would be a quiet story about a woman selling honey, but it ended up being a lot more than that. Local Honey is really about a small town in the 1950s trying to move forward, while some folks are still stuck in the past—and not always for the best reasons.
The main character, Jim Yarrow, is a local cop dealing with grief over his younger brother’s death and some messy town politics. When Becky Bivens—an old flame from his youth—comes back into town and sets up a little roadside stand, it stirs up all kinds of trouble. People remember her family for reasons that aren’t entirely clear at first, but as the story unfolds, you start to understand why there's so much gossip and resentment.
It’s a slow burn, for sure. Not much action, but I was never bored. The writing feels grounded and real, and I liked how it captured the feeling of a town on the edge of change. There’s a lot going on underneath what seems like a simple plot: questions about trust, second chances, class, and who really gets to belong somewhere.
I especially liked the beekeeping parts—kind of meditative and surprisingly insightful. Also, the scenes between Jim and Becky felt honest. They have a lot of history, and you can feel it even when they’re just talking about honey or the past.
My only gripe is that one of the side characters (Mary Jane) was a little over-the-top sometimes, but even that kind of made sense given the small-town setting. Everyone knows someone like her.
Overall, this was a thoughtful and quietly emotional read. If you like books that focus more on people than plot twists, this is worth your time.
January 3, 2026
Save Becky at all costs!
This book was a beautiful portrayal of women supporting women at its core. You have Becky who was fighting against the odds her whole life and instead of feeling sorry for herself, she turned it into a superpower.
In the opposite corner, you have Mary Jane who is your modern day “Karen” in every sense of the word. Calm down, Mary Jane. Literally no one cares. Be more of a girls girl and take the stick out of your doopa.
Jim - oh poor Jim. You want the white picket fence American dream but also can’t see your own hand in front of your face - or your wife’s misery and despair, for that matter.
If you’re looking for a read that paints New England with the beauty it deserves, allows you to focus on the complex dynamics of human interpersonal relationships, and evolves your love for bees then give this a whirl. It was a warm way to start 2026.
This book was a beautiful portrayal of women supporting women at its core. You have Becky who was fighting against the odds her whole life and instead of feeling sorry for herself, she turned it into a superpower.
In the opposite corner, you have Mary Jane who is your modern day “Karen” in every sense of the word. Calm down, Mary Jane. Literally no one cares. Be more of a girls girl and take the stick out of your doopa.
Jim - oh poor Jim. You want the white picket fence American dream but also can’t see your own hand in front of your face - or your wife’s misery and despair, for that matter.
If you’re looking for a read that paints New England with the beauty it deserves, allows you to focus on the complex dynamics of human interpersonal relationships, and evolves your love for bees then give this a whirl. It was a warm way to start 2026.
November 30, 2025
Mixed feelings...
My feelings.for.this story changed as I read on. I loved it at first, probably through most of the book. It is excellent historical fiction of the early 1950's, providing excellent context and background for why the returning soldiers from WWII felt as they did. I also have more understanding of the mentality of the late 1950's and early 1960's. I also liked the way the main character helped his wife with their children, which I think would be considered rare in real life back then. I was born in 1957, and it definitely did NOT depict the norm of my childhood, or the way any of my peers grew up!
I also liked, at first, the relationship between Jim Yarrow and Becky Bivens. The author somehow made their chemistry leap off the pages. But that is where my enjoyment of this book took a turn south. SPOILERS.AHEAD
Jim's wife left him while he was called away in the middle of the night. She wanted to move back to her home town to be closer to her mother. To help her with the kids though her husband jumped right in with childcare as soon as he walked in the door, and all weekends. So I thought she was one selfish spoiled woman! Then Becky became really, really stupid and stubborn about legitimizing her business. I think the author wanted us to find her altruistic, but I just found her to be dumb. I lost more respect for her when she allowed him to jeopardize his career to save her business even more's I'd seemed so selfish of her.
The story continued downhill for me. The characters changed character abruptly with either no explanation, or an explanation that I didn't get. The wife admits she is wrong and wants to come back. The best friend and philosopher of Jim tells the story of how oppressed the wife was, needing a change very badly. I thought. "Huh??!!" She wanted.the same life she had, she just wanted it in her mama's town! And this so called friend butted in to tell Becky that Jim's wife is coming back home. I thought he was.way out of line with that, though the reader was maybe supposed to find him sympathetic to Becky. ???
But yes, social aspects were different back then..I actually remember that, so maybe a sympathetic friend WOULD have interfered. I didn't understand how he was 'saved' by a job created for him. I understood the grant money, but with Becky gone, why did he need it? Oh well, i must have missed something important??
The absolute disappointment came with an ending I found really cheesy and way overdone in novels and movies like this one. Epilogue: someone is back on the farmland, selling honey, some 17 years later. No no.no!!! I groaned. But yes. When Becky left she didn't know she was pregnant! And she never bothered Jim with it because she wanted him to be back happily with his family, as evidenced in a letter she wrote him, given to him by the unsuspecting daughter! I guess back then there wasn't much concern for the kids needing dad? No...when Jim's wife took the kids they talked about how Jim and his kids missed each other...ok.
A really big theme in the book is Becky doing whatEVER to help the have-nots from the social prejudice in the town. Jim agrees with her. But after she leaves and he has a chance, through his new job, to help disenfranchised people, he does not. The town remains unchanged.
Not a happy ending, but realistic. Unless I missed something
My feelings.for.this story changed as I read on. I loved it at first, probably through most of the book. It is excellent historical fiction of the early 1950's, providing excellent context and background for why the returning soldiers from WWII felt as they did. I also have more understanding of the mentality of the late 1950's and early 1960's. I also liked the way the main character helped his wife with their children, which I think would be considered rare in real life back then. I was born in 1957, and it definitely did NOT depict the norm of my childhood, or the way any of my peers grew up!
I also liked, at first, the relationship between Jim Yarrow and Becky Bivens. The author somehow made their chemistry leap off the pages. But that is where my enjoyment of this book took a turn south. SPOILERS.AHEAD
Jim's wife left him while he was called away in the middle of the night. She wanted to move back to her home town to be closer to her mother. To help her with the kids though her husband jumped right in with childcare as soon as he walked in the door, and all weekends. So I thought she was one selfish spoiled woman! Then Becky became really, really stupid and stubborn about legitimizing her business. I think the author wanted us to find her altruistic, but I just found her to be dumb. I lost more respect for her when she allowed him to jeopardize his career to save her business even more's I'd seemed so selfish of her.
The story continued downhill for me. The characters changed character abruptly with either no explanation, or an explanation that I didn't get. The wife admits she is wrong and wants to come back. The best friend and philosopher of Jim tells the story of how oppressed the wife was, needing a change very badly. I thought. "Huh??!!" She wanted.the same life she had, she just wanted it in her mama's town! And this so called friend butted in to tell Becky that Jim's wife is coming back home. I thought he was.way out of line with that, though the reader was maybe supposed to find him sympathetic to Becky. ???
But yes, social aspects were different back then..I actually remember that, so maybe a sympathetic friend WOULD have interfered. I didn't understand how he was 'saved' by a job created for him. I understood the grant money, but with Becky gone, why did he need it? Oh well, i must have missed something important??
The absolute disappointment came with an ending I found really cheesy and way overdone in novels and movies like this one. Epilogue: someone is back on the farmland, selling honey, some 17 years later. No no.no!!! I groaned. But yes. When Becky left she didn't know she was pregnant! And she never bothered Jim with it because she wanted him to be back happily with his family, as evidenced in a letter she wrote him, given to him by the unsuspecting daughter! I guess back then there wasn't much concern for the kids needing dad? No...when Jim's wife took the kids they talked about how Jim and his kids missed each other...ok.
A really big theme in the book is Becky doing whatEVER to help the have-nots from the social prejudice in the town. Jim agrees with her. But after she leaves and he has a chance, through his new job, to help disenfranchised people, he does not. The town remains unchanged.
Not a happy ending, but realistic. Unless I missed something
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2025
This Book is the Best HONEY for your Money
Jim Yarrow's younger brother, Will, died in 1951. It's post World War II mid-century America where roads are being built. Yarrow works as a police officer. Mary Jane Danforth called the police on her neighbor, Rebecca Bivens, for having an illegal food stand on the side of their farm. Jim reveals to Rebecca that his brother, Will, was killed in a highway construction accident. Bivens Farm is selling honey. Jim tells Mary Jane it's not a police matter selling in an agricultural zone. Mary Jane used to date Jim Freshman year of high school and is secretly jealous of Rebecca Bivens. Rebecca or "Becky" her father died 6 weeks ago, and she sold the honey bee hives from the farm. Jim's wife, Linda, wants him to move their family to Brunswick to be closer to her family. Jim likes his police unit where he's at.
The Biven's farm used to be a brothel.Rebecca's adoptive mother, Erin, a sex worker, hired other young girls. Rebecca's biological mother got pregnant from one of the clients and left her to be raised by the Bivens family. The police busted the Bivens farm, and Rebecca, who was seeing Jim Yarrow as a youngster, left town. Jim Yarrow went to WWII and then married Linda.Now Jim and Rebecca are in the same town, Jim gives Rebecca rides in his police cruiser. Linda takes the kids and moves in with her mother. While Linda is away, Jim Yarrow's mother dies, and he becomes intimate with Becky. MJ attacks Becky at the Bivens Farm and accuses Becky of being a seductress and of witchcraft. After a 3 month romance with Becky, Jim's wife, Linda, wants to go back to Riverbend.Will Jim Yarrow ever end up with Becky Bivens? The ending is wild.
Jim Yarrow's younger brother, Will, died in 1951. It's post World War II mid-century America where roads are being built. Yarrow works as a police officer. Mary Jane Danforth called the police on her neighbor, Rebecca Bivens, for having an illegal food stand on the side of their farm. Jim reveals to Rebecca that his brother, Will, was killed in a highway construction accident. Bivens Farm is selling honey. Jim tells Mary Jane it's not a police matter selling in an agricultural zone. Mary Jane used to date Jim Freshman year of high school and is secretly jealous of Rebecca Bivens. Rebecca or "Becky" her father died 6 weeks ago, and she sold the honey bee hives from the farm. Jim's wife, Linda, wants him to move their family to Brunswick to be closer to her family. Jim likes his police unit where he's at.
The Biven's farm used to be a brothel.Rebecca's adoptive mother, Erin, a sex worker, hired other young girls. Rebecca's biological mother got pregnant from one of the clients and left her to be raised by the Bivens family. The police busted the Bivens farm, and Rebecca, who was seeing Jim Yarrow as a youngster, left town. Jim Yarrow went to WWII and then married Linda.Now Jim and Rebecca are in the same town, Jim gives Rebecca rides in his police cruiser. Linda takes the kids and moves in with her mother. While Linda is away, Jim Yarrow's mother dies, and he becomes intimate with Becky. MJ attacks Becky at the Bivens Farm and accuses Becky of being a seductress and of witchcraft. After a 3 month romance with Becky, Jim's wife, Linda, wants to go back to Riverbend.Will Jim Yarrow ever end up with Becky Bivens? The ending is wild.
August 28, 2025
A well written book
A well written book that touches at the heart strings. The story takes place in a small town in New England during the 1950s. In the past, Jim and Becky lost contact. He went to war, she left town. Now, years later, he’s a small town cop, while she’s an entrepreneur with a small stand selling honey. The story follows class differences, personal growths and a slow burn romance. If you’re interested on enjoy well written stories with complex characters, then you will cherish this read.
A well written book that touches at the heart strings. The story takes place in a small town in New England during the 1950s. In the past, Jim and Becky lost contact. He went to war, she left town. Now, years later, he’s a small town cop, while she’s an entrepreneur with a small stand selling honey. The story follows class differences, personal growths and a slow burn romance. If you’re interested on enjoy well written stories with complex characters, then you will cherish this read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews