Smokescreen: A Jewish Approach to Stop Smoking

by Bruce Forman, Shoshannah Brombacher

At nineteen years old, Wilber Jansen has never been on a plane before, much less out of the country. And he’s certainly never had an interest in bees. So, when he decides to enroll in a weeklong beekeeping class in Slovenia, he knows it will come as a surprise to his family and friends.

Of course, he can’t tell them the real reason he’s going because they would think he was crazy. Yes, he had been having a dream about a Slovenian vineyard since he was thirteen, and yes, a certain beautiful girl was always at that vineyard, but to think that he might actually find the vineyard and the girl if he went to Slovenia…well, that was a bit out there.

Or was it? When he arrives in Slovenia and begins meeting characters from his dream, Wilber is nearly frozen with excitement. But he soon finds himself distracted by his quirky beekeeping mentor and a bubbly bank teller he can’t seem to avoid, and as his week starts slipping away he begins to question the purpose of his trip. Did this vineyard even exist? And if so, did he have any chance of finding it?

262 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[S. Collin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Painted Hives is a lighthearted read for readers who enjoy a literary journey.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I downloaded and read this book for a World Bee Day event hosted by the Slovenian Union of America. This engaging coming-of-age story celebrates the beekeeping traditions of Slovenia, through the eyes of a young man searching for the girl of his dreams. It is written in the first person, with a voice that might be the author himself at a younger age. I especially liked how the author added authentic details of what a young American summer student is likely to experience in the capital city of Ljubljana, including some of my favorite places for pizza, ice cream or a drink.

[Matej Tacer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the vivid descriptions of the streets of Ljubljana. The descriptions are quite accurate and you could tell that the author was familiar with the place and actually walked the streets himself as well as travelled to the country side.

Also, I learned something new about beekeeping even though I had spent many hours working with my father on his bee hives before.
The story is contrived and cheese at times however, I enjoyed reading as it took me back to my home country.