Lost in the Beehive

by Michele Young-Stone

From the author of Above Us Only Sky and The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors, a touching new novel set in the 1960s about the power of friendship, love, and accepting your past in order to find a future.

For nearly her entire life, Gloria Ricci has been followed by bees.

They’re there when her mother loses twin children; when she first meets a neighborhood girl named Isabel, who brings out feelings in her that she knows she shouldn’t have; and when her parents, desperate to “help” her, bring her to the Belmont Institute, whose glossy brochures promise healing and peace. She tells no one, but their hum follows her as she struggles to survive against the Institute’s cold and damaging methods, as she meets an outspoken and unapologetic fellow patient named Sheffield Schoeffler, and as they run away, toward the freewheeling and accepting glow of 1960s Greenwich Village, where they create their own kind of family among the artists and wanderers who frequent the jazz bars and side streets.

As Gloria tries to outrun her past, experiencing profound love—and loss—and encountering a host of unlikely characters, including her Uncle Eddie, a hard-drinking former boyfriend of her mother’s, to Madame Zelda, a Coney Island fortune teller, and Jacob, the man she eventually marries but whose dark side threatens to bring disaster, the bees remain. It’s only when she needs them most that Gloria discovers why they’re there.

Moving from the suburbs of New Jersey to the streets of New York to the swamps of North Carolina and back again, Lost in the Beehive is a poignant novel about the moments that teach us, the places that shape us, and the people who change us.

Genres: Fiction, LGBT, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Adult, Queer, Literary Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2018

About the author

MICHELE YOUNG-STONE is the author of LOST IN THE BEEHIVE, an O Magazine pick, ABOVE US ONLY SKY, and THE HANDBOOK FOR LIGHTNING STRIKE SURVIVORS. She is currently at work on a fourth novel.

Read excerpts from her novel at http://www.micheleyoungstone.com

In addition to being a writer, Michele is a mom, wife, animal lover, Zumba and Hip-Hop addict, crafter, Pinterest junkie, and bird watcher. Learn more about Michele and her books on her webpage or on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/michele.youn...

Reviews

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a few times when a new movie comes out - I see the trailer - the cast is great - but the trailer doesn’t look like anything special. “Three Billboards” is a perfect example for me. Then I ‘saw’ the movie ( and not right away - it took a friend telling me to ‘go’)- it was so outstanding- I saw it twice. Looking ‘back’ at the trailer ‘after’ having seen the movie- it looks better to me - but still does not do the movie justice.

That’s how I feel about “Lost in the Beehive”. The name of the book itself didn’t grab my attention right away. The blurb alone is ok - and even accurate- but it sounded ‘busy’ to me - lightweight whimsy with some emotional heart - yet with so many books to choose from - it simply sounded like another tale that would be good - but not INCREDIBLE! I think it’s INCREDIBLE- and WONDERFUL!! I almost completely passed this book up.
Many thanks to *Marilyn* for sending me a book recommendation. Her review convinced me. I checked this book out yesterday- read it - and it’s MUCH BETTER than the blurb let’s on. It’s actually important and relevant to some issues happening in the news today.

BEFORE I GET INTO MY REVIEW....I want to mention that Conversion Therapy on minors is still legal today. The pseudoscientific “Gay Cure” attempts to change sexual orientation or gender identity through techniques that have included electric shock and induced vomiting.
Just a couple of days ago - in ‘The Washington Post’, is an article which headlines:
“A BISEXUAL STATE DELEGATE WANTS TO BAN CONVERSION THERAPY ON MINORS. HER STATE SENATOR FATHER DISAGREES”.

I’m not going to debate this topic — and the entire article in the Washington Post is just heartbreaking to me....but research has found that Conversion Therapy is ineffective - dangerous- harmful — with a list of potential serious effects. I bring this topic up....because it’s relevant to this story.

Now for my REVIEW....NO MAJOR SPOILERS!!!
TIDBIT STYLE REVIEW:

MANY REASONS TO READ THIS BOOK:
.....BIGGEST REASON ......YOU’ll LOVE IT. It will tap deeply into your mind and heart.

.....It’s fast reading - very engaging - lovely ease in the writing which DEMANDS OUR FULL ATTENTION...because the writing flows effortlessly. Kudos to author Michele Young-Stone. I’m digging this author. My first experience reading her.

.....The setting takes place in the 60’s and 70’s. Many memorable references:
Walter Cronkite, Waldorf salads, Swanson TV dinners, mini skirts, faded bell-bottoms, Woolworths, Lucky Strikes, Carole King, ‘Tapestry’, the pull-out sofa,
Bourbon in Dixie cups at picnics, tuna casserole, Nancy Sinatra Go-Go boots,
crocheted top with exposed midriff, Mutoscopes( at the Museum of modern Art in New York,MoMA), Vietnam War, Nathan’s famous Hot Dog’s - slice pizza & coke,
“Catcher in the Rye”, The National organization for women was calling a ratification for the equal rights amendment, Patsy Cline, ‘Walk-in After Midnight’, “NEAT”....( isn’t that just NEAT?), Old records: Bessie Smith, Benny Goldman, Ella Fitzgerald,
Oscar, a golden retriever, small town gossip, Hostess Sno Balls, canned spaghetti O’s, and ravioli,
Three layered chocolate cake, Frank Sinatra, ‘Fly Me To The Moon’, Rolling Stones,’I. Can’t Get No Satisfaction’, Donna Summers, and footie pajamas.

.....As vile as the Belmont Institute was —- Gloria Ricci and Sheffield meet under those dreadful conditions- and become best friends. They are both gay.
They were also both minors. Gloria 16. Sheff, 17. Their parents had control of their choices. Be aware there ‘is’ one scene that is painfully graphic - yet important to understand the magnitude of the therapy practices.

.....Gloria got out first. Goes back home in Maryville, for awhile, to live with her parents Frank and Molly. We get to know the parents well throughout the years changing. Even though they had sent Gloria to Belmont to ‘heal’ her .....we will learn other sides of her parents - actually very supportive - not typical of most parents who sent their teens to institutions to change them.

.....Then Sheff. He goes to New York.

.....Gloria follows Sheff. One afternoon they rented a boat at Turtle Bay in Central Park...it wasn’t only the sky’s reflection that matched Sheff’s eyes, the warm sun, the dragonflies that made that day wonderful for Gloria.
We saw her open up more. We knew their relationship was deepening- she loved him. Lying close to him that night she whispered in his ear, “I’m going to marry you, Sheffield Schoeffler”.

.....Life doesn’t always go as planned:
.....Gloria meets Jacob Blount - marries him. Moves to a small town called Greeley. Not too far from Washington City. They moved into a house that was built in 1927. A tobacco farmer had once owned it.
The best thing about the town was meeting Betty, who owned a restaurant/ bakery in town.

.....You’ll meet other interesting and or mysterious characters: Uncle Eddie - Big Mama - Madame Zelda - Early Bird - Darlene - etc.

....A ‘little’ about the Bees: ( just a context) ...
“There are all these myths- Native American, African, and Celtic- about how bees are symbolic of birth and creativity; they can be spirits traveling from one world to the next”.

Gloria says:
.....”I felt caught between two worlds, one where I was special, some magical beekeeper, and another where I did what I was told. I kept the house neat, made dinner, spread my thighs as wide as they would go. I was a trapeze artist walking a tightrope”.


.....”I best skedaddle”...... ( when’s the last time you heard that phrase?) :)

I hate to leave this book....
We’ve all experienced somebody wanting to change us. If we are truthful - we know people we wish we could change....
This book inspires genuine living — Queen & King Bees of our own happiness!

Thank You Simon & Schuster- Netgalley - and Michele Young-Stone

[Crumb · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute triumph! This book hit me right in the feels..


🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Buzzzzworthy stars!

The bee is a miraculous creature:
it defies the laws of gravity and aerodynamics,
carrying three times its own body weight,
flapping its wings over two hundred beats per second.
It is a creature not just of this world, but of the world to come.
Pay attention to the bees. You might learn something.
-Madame Zelda

Lost in the Beehive was an allegory with magical realism at its core. These facets are not typically what motivates me to read a novel, however, I'm so glad I gave this one a chance. This book spoke to me. It sang me sweet lullabies and wrapped my soul in its song. Another admission: I like reading novels that have a lot of ratings; never have I been so deeply misguided. Just because this isn't the recipient of thousands upon thousands of ratings, has no baring on its worth.

Gloria Ricci likes girls in a time period that isn't accepting of this ideal. To "fix her condition", Gloria's parents send her to the Belmont institute, a heinous and cruel institution. Being there is a hellish experience, although, there was a silver lining. Gloria ends up finding a best friend in Sheffield Schoeffler. They make a pact that they will meet in NYC upon their release. It is there that Gloria meets a host of characters that will impact her life in a profound way.

All of her life, Gloria has noticed the bees that surround her. However, only she can see them. What do these bees represent? They are her protection, her refuge, her heart. And they are her moral compass.

Lost in the Beehivetook me completely by surprise. It was smart and perceptive. This was a story about a young woman finding her voice and realizing it’s never too late to find her heart.

[Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

As this story begins, a young, teenage Gloria Ricci is being driven by her parents to an institute to be treated for her “abnormal” desires and her choice of companions.

”My mother leaned over the seat back in her cat-eye sunglasses. ‘You’ll get better at this place. They’re going to make you like everybody else.’”

It was 1965, a year after the Beatles first American tour, a year after the first Civil Rights Act, and Rock’em Sock’em Robots were one of the top selling toys, Cassius Clay beat Sonny Liston, and the first Ford Mustang was made. By 1965, the anti-war sentiment had grown and 35,000 people marched on Washington. The cost of an average house in America was $13,600.00. The average income was $6,450.00. Gasoline was 31 cents a gallon.

The Belmont Institute was where Gloria meets Sheff, Sheffield Schoeffler, a young man whose inclinations were abhorrent to his parents, his father in particular.

”We passed through the door, and the world I knew was gone.”

It would be another eight years before the American Psychiatric Association would remove homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses, leaving both of these teenagers, and who knows how many others like them, to be kept against their will under the guise of “mental illness.” To be released, they would need to be “cured” of their deviant behaviors, thoughts and desires.

Gloria eventually is allowed to leave, her psychiatrist believing she’s been cured. Eventually Sheff makes his way to the outside world, as well, and Gloria finds her way to him, fairly certain she knew where she could find him.

Bees feature heavily in this story, and seem to be hovering near Gloria through events in her life. They’re nearby when her mother loses twin babies, when her parents leave her at the Institute, and when they accompany her to Madame Zelda, a fortune teller, and then later, still, when she finds herself at the mercy of the man she married. Time and time again they seem to offer her solace and strength, a sense of being watched over, protected by them.

”Lost in the Beehive” is a love story, and a story about love – what love really means, about those moments and people in life that mold us, and change us, the places our hearts see as home, and the unusual sources we sometimes find our strength from and through.

I really loved the ease, the ebb and flow of this story, loved hearing the buzzing of the bees, and feeling that energy. The sprinkling of magical realism in this quietly moving story added just the perfect touch, and I fell under its spell.


Published 10 APR 2018


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Simon & Schuster

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was simply wonderful!

"For nearly her entire life, Gloria Ricci has been followed by bees."

Gloria Ricci is caught in an intimate act with a young woman named Isabel at the beginning of the book. Believing that they are doing the right thing, Gloria's parents admit her to the Belmont Institute. It's a place with a pretty brochure but is extremely ugly on the inside. It is a place meant to "cure" teens who are attracted to members of the same sex. The teen years are usually when people begin to "find" themselves. It's a time of change - puberty, sexual urges, self-esteem, self-worth and identity all come into play. It's a time to learn who you are and to look toward the future. For the teens at the institute, it is a time where they are told they are "sick", that there is something wrong with them that needs to be "fixed." They have "therapy" sessions and are offered aversion therapy. It's a horrific experience which is made better when Gloria meets Sheffield "Sheff" Schoeffler. They bond, and, in his presence, Gloria is finally free to be her true self. She and Sheff become best friends and make plans for a better life once they are released from Belmont.

"It's no good being alive if you don't get to live."

Sheff and Gloria run away and form their own family unit where both love and accept the other. Unfortunately, their happiness does not last, and Gloria returns home and eventually meets Jacob, a man she will eventually marry.......

I don't want to say too much more about the plot but that I had a hard time putting this book down. It was an emotional read. One can't help but feel for both Sheff and Gloria. I wanted to cheer for them and cried with them and sadly watched as Gloria married a man and moved away from her parents.

This book is about friendship, love, loss. yearning, acceptance, being true to yourself, and being open to others. It is laced with Magical realism and beautiful passages. It also deals with difficult subjects such as abuse, suicide, non-acceptance, death, infidelity, and the impact of secrets.

The bees continue to buzz throughout the book and follow Gloria through her life making appearance at important times and when she needs them the most. As Gloria attempts to be true to herself, she finds that she can love and be loved. The ending is a bit predictable but seriously, who cares? I didn't. I loved it.

Highly recommend everyone picks up this book to see what all the reviewers are buzzing about!

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful, fast paced novel, a heartbreaking yet redeeming story about love and staying true to yourself. These characters, you will remember!! Awesome read!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster through NetGalley!

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

🐝 5 bee-utiful stars to Lost in Beehive! 🐝 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I can’t wait to tell you about this book!

Gloria Ricci, main character and teenager, finds herself in an institute being “treated” for her feelings toward her best friend, Isabel. At the open of the book, Gloria is dropped off at the Belmont Institute by her seemingly loving parents. In the 1960s, many aspects of typical sexuality were more than taboo; they were incorrectly viewed as mental illness, and as a sign of the times, the Institute specializes in abhorrent conversion therapy.

While at Belmont, Gloria meets Sheff, a fellow patient, who becomes her dearest friend. Every friendship needs a sidekick like Sheff! Gloria and Sheff eventually run away and experience some escapades.

As Gloria moves through life, she is visited by bees, and she never understands their purpose until much later - foreshadowed at the beginning of the book and fully played out at the end.

Lost in the Beehive is a poignant exploration of what it means to feel different, and how with friendship you can overcome most any hardship. Gloria and Sheff were two unforgettable characters. This book deeply touched me, and I could not put it down. Simple in its writing, complex in its emotions, Lost in the Beehive is an enchanting and monumentally moving story.

I had the pleasure of reading this book with my Traveling Sisters, Brenda and Norma. This special book was even more heartwarming to share with them. For this review and the combined Traveling Sister review, please visit Brenda and Norma’s amazing blog: www.twosisterslostinacoulee.com

Thank you to Michele Young-Stone, Simon Schuster, and Netgalley for the ARC. Lost in the Beehive will be available on April 10, 2018!

[JanB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gloria’s parents, still reeling from the loss of their newborn twins, find out their teenage daughter is attracted to girls. It's the 1960's, and out of misguided love and concern, and a desire to protect Gloria from what they anticipate would be a difficult life, they send her to Belmont, a facility that promises to heal and fix what was considered to be her unnatural urges so she could live a ‘normal’ life. There she meets Sheff, a tortured soul who was forced to endure the harsh and cruel environment at Belmont, not once, but twice. They become fast friends.

I don’t want to reveal further details of the plot, as they are best discovered by the reader. This novel is an examination of the harm inflicted when someone is not accepted for who they are, but instead told they are sick, their urges unnatural, and there’s something wrong with them. We follow Gloria in her struggles, through love and loss, joy and heartbreak. It’s a cautionary tale of the consequences of denying your true nature.

What didn’t work for me were the bees. I didn’t understand why they were there. Sometimes they served as a warning, sometimes they were there to save her, and, apparently, she was the only one who could see them. I don’t mind a little magical realism in my books but this one was confusing and felt out of place, detracting from the story instead of adding to it.

This book gets a solid 3 stars from me, meaning I liked it. It was a quick read, simply written, with a great message. It was good but missing the complexity of plot and characters that I need to give it the extra oomph that makes for a 4 or 5 star reading experience.

*many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Brenda ~The Sisters~Book Witch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Norma and I were lost with the bees buzzing in the magical, heart and soul lush coulee with Jennifer reading Lost in the Beehive and we have some buzz for you.

Lost in the Beehive is a well-written and heartwarming magical coming of age love story. It’s a love story between friends, partners and love for yourself. It is written with heart and compassion making this a quiet, easy and touching story.

Michele Young-Stone does a fantastic job developing our main character here with Gloria as she strives for the courage and the freedom to be herself. Our hearts went out to her as she struggled with finding herself and accepting her past and realizing her future.

Michele Young-Stone brilliantly balances a magical realism here with Gloria’s journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance that added some emotional depth to the story for us. We could hear the buzz from the bees as they quietly talked to us and we could feel the magic and meaning they brought to this story.

We all loved the ending to this story and how it all came together leaving us feeling very satisfied lost in the coulee with this beautiful, memorable and peaceful story. We highly recommend joining the buzz of the bees and finding a nice quiet place to enjoy this story.
Published on April 10, 2018

Thank you, Edelweiss, Simon and Schuster and Michele Young-Stone for a copy to read and review.

Review written and posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley.

[Esil · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I loved the beginning of Lost in the Beehive, but then I found that it lost a bit of its strength. It’s still 3.5 stars overall based on the beginning and the topic.

The story starts in the 1960s, when 16 year old Gloria is taken to an institution that is meant to reprogram gay teenagers. Gloria becomes good friends with a gay boy, Scheff. I don’t want to say too much about what happens between Gloria and Scheff to avoid spoilers, but flashing forward a few years Gloria ends up living in a very small community and married to Jacob.

I really liked the part of the book that focuses on Gloria and Scheff but I found the rest of the book somewhat predictable. I was also a bit put off by the bee theme and the tinge of psychic woo woo. Having said that, I loved the characters, including Gloria, her family and Jacob’s family. Overall, this was one of those books with a clear positive message and plenty of heart — just a bit predictable and pat at times.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

[Norma ~ The Sisters 🤒 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up!

A simply bee-utiful book that had me buzzing with excitement upon finishing to share my thoughts with you! This was some book!

LOST IN THE BEEHIVE by MICHELE YOUNG-STONE was an absolutely beautifully written coming of age/coming out story that touched my heart. It was an enjoyable, spellbinding, and touching story that was extremely hard for me to put down. I was quickly and completely drawn into this simply written, compassionate tale and the main characters in this book. I absolutely loved Gloria & Sheff.

MICHELE YOUNG-STONE delivers a magical story here that was well-written and I totally enjoyed following along with Gloria and her moving journey. I really enjoyed the magical realism & symbolism to this story with the bees and the fortune teller. In the end it was brought together so wonderfully that I found it both touching and moving. The meaning behind this story definitely resonated with me and I thought it was absolutely brilliant!

I am so happy that I read this book and was able to share my thoughts with Brenda and Jennifer! Highly recommend!

Published on April 10, 2018

Thank you so much to Edelweiss, Simon and Schuster and Michele Young-Stone for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review!

Review written and posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley.
Where I live I am surrounded by Coulees!

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful story with a strong message of what happens when we don’t stay true to ourselves and let others define us. It is a fast-paced novel, simply written, but I somehow got a bit “lost in the beehive” magical aspect of the novel, and I love magical realism. Initially I loved the symbolism of the bees, but their meaning crumbled the last half. It just didn’t work how I had hoped.

I would still recommend this book. It’s a great story with unforgettable characters.

I enjoyed reading this with my Traveling Friends

3.5 rounding up

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most beautiful thing about this story is its message of living true to yourself, even if it means risking society’s censure. Gloria is a teenager who has already fallen in love with another young woman, and this story begins after her first broken heart.

The challenges of being gay in the 1960s are the basis for Gloria’s struggles, and as a character I found her to be original and true, her conflicts genuine. Over the course of the story we see her struggle to live the kind of life she thinks will make the people around her happy, at the cost of her own contentment. This was very well done and many times I found my own heart breaking right along with hers.

Thing is, this book could have been so much more! The bees were a beautiful addition with lots of potential -- I won’t discuss their purpose due to spoilers -- but they could have been integrated more smoothly into the story. The foundation for a four or five star book is here, but for a more adroit execution.

Lost in the Beehive is a worthwhile read with a touch of the mystical. I would be remiss not mention one of Young-Stone’s earlier works, also about self-acceptance and discovering courage, called Above Us Only Sky. It's my opinion that the elements of magic were carried off more successfully in that one.

[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Lost in the Beehive by Michele Young-Stone in a goodreads give away in exchange for an honest review. This book wrapped its covers around me from page one and wouldn't let me put it down. The story began by giving the reader a glimpse of its ending. Capturing, exciting and alluring! Then it went back in time to tell the story and life of Gloria Ricci.

The story took place in the 1960's and 1970's first in Maryville, Maryland and later in Greeley, North Carolina. From an early age Gloria knew she was different from most girls her age. There were two things about her that made her different. First, she liked girls, not boys and second she had a connection to bees. From a very young age she realized that bees followed her and protected her and that she was not afraid of them. When her family found out that she was involved intimately with another girl they admitted her to the Belmont Institute. The doctors and personnel promised her parents that they would cure of her lesbian preferences. In those days, homosexuality was treated as a mental illness that could be cured. Their treatments were very cold and damaging. The only good thing that came from her time spent at the institute was the friendship she developed with Sheffield Schoeffler. He became her best friend and she knew that she truly loved him. After many months, Gloria was released from Belmont and went home to live with her parents. Sometime after, Sheff contacted her and she ran away from home to meet him in Greenwich Village, New York. There they shared an apartment and their bond and love grew. They needed each other. Until the unimaginable happened.

Years later, Gloria tried to convince herself that she could be like everyone else. She met a man named Jacob who literally swept her off her feet. However, she knew that she didn't love him but convinced herself that she could marry him and live a "normal" life. She tried but her true self was only a suppressed memory away. In the end the bees saved her and allowed her to live the life she was meant to live.

I loved this book! I highly recommend it. Since I could not give it a half star, my rating would be 4.5 not 4. Read this book!

[RoseMary Achey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The material in this book was difficult to read. It dealt with conversion therapy and domestic abuse.

Reparative" or "conversion" therapy is a dangerous practice that targets LGBTQ youth and seeks to change their sexual or gender identities.

So-called “conversion therapy,” sometimes known as “reparative therapy,” is a range of dangerous and discredited practices that falsely claim to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Such practices have been rejected by every mainstream medical and mental health organization for decades, but due to continuing discrimination and societal bias against LGBTQ people, some practitioners continue to conduct conversion therapy. Minors are especially vulnerable, and conversion therapy can lead to depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness, and suicide.

Our protagonist Gloria survives this type of therapy only to try to "do the right thing and attempts to be normal" and falls into an abusive and deeply controlling relationship.

Author Michel Young-Stone does a superb job with this character driven novel. You will fall in love with Gloria's resilience and spirit as you follow her journey from a teen at a young mother. The honeybee's insert a bit of magical realism.

A deeply satisfying ending rounds out this novel. I closed this one wanting much more. The sign of a great book.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opening scene: Gloria Ricci is being choked, her head is repeatedly being slammed onto the bathroom’s tiled floor, her daughter is screaming for the abuser to quit hurting her mommy, and she blacks out.
Regressive time flash. 1965. She is brought to an institution to cure her illness. Isabel. She is mentally ill for loving her. This lock up will change that. In her room (cell) she is given a bible bookmarked with pertinent verses and pamphlets on her “illness” ... She is 16.
On her 4th day, she meets Sheffield Schoeffler. His is a return stay, which allows him a savvy insight to what is and is not expected of each resident. Silence being adamantly enforced. A quick bond in made. They spend every allowed minute together. But Gloria gets released and Sheffield is left behind.
Back home, Gloria follows the rules, acts the part and bides her time until she (hopefully) hears from Sheffield again. Once the letter arrives, she is off to the Chelsea, a note left behind, a new life ahead. But it’s destined, no matter their attempts, no matter the offered help. Sheffield’s father shows up just as they were to debark to California to undo what was done at the institution. It’s an extremely vulnerable time. Sheffield opts not to fight through it.
Gloria is taken back home, to recover, to revive, to heal. Part one.
Part two
She’s selling ties when a young man comes up to tell her he’s infatuated and asks her out. She wants to be “normal” and says yes. 10 weeks later, they get married, move out of the area and start a new life in a run down colonial they set in to rehab. Jacob is a “Purist” and no longer wants to line the pockets of elitists with his labor, so he works at salvaging and running tables at flea markets. He starts to sequester Gloria. But there are bees. Throughout her life, there have been bees. A fortune teller she saw with Sheffield told her they are her protectors. There are hives in her house and garden shed. They are her protectors.
Her one friend, Betty, is her oasis. Betty is also gay. While Gloria knows she’s in love with her, she doesn’t want to wreck her normalcy. A close friendship forms, just the same.
Part three
Gloria is newly pregnant, just as soon as she realizes she made a mistake in marrying Jacob. This changes everything. When Zelda comes into the world, Jacob is not there to welcome his daughter. His many trips to “find salvage” have him gone more than home. But Gloria prefers it that way. No one abuses her, she can be with her baby, she feels safe and content. After a beautiful day spent with Betty and Zelda, she in convinced things have to change and tells Jacob she wants to leave him. Scene one replay.
3 weeks later, she wakes from severe brain trauma a widow. Those she loves surround her. Gloria can now be truly normal, happy and safe.
My questions, however, are who found her? How did that scenario play out with Zelda witnessing it? Other than that, it was a tight, enthralling read that kept me up til 3:08am, needing to know they were going to be ok. It’s a keeper!

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this was a very nice book. There’s just something so sincere and well meaning about it that nice comes to mind as the most appropriate adjective. The subject itself, of course, isn’t all that nice, it’s all to do with how the society treats anyone who is different, in this case specifically the gays. Sure, in the present time there’s been some significant progress, rights, etc., but back in what the conservative minds refer to with misdirected nostalgia as the good old days the general mentality was pretty appalling. So goes the story of Gloria, a girl who likes girls and ends up in a mental institution specializing in conversion therapy for all her perceived sins. Girl meets boy, both gay, boy inspires girl to live her dreams, but sudden tragedy sees girl reverse into a sort of quiet existence. After several years of that she attempts the normal life succumbing to superficial charms to a real white trash southerner with all the accompanying proud ignorance, misplaced pride and misguided machismo lurking just underneath. Turns out normalcy isn’t so easy when your soul isn’t in it. Then come the tough choices. And there you have it, a fairly straight forward (no pun intended) morality tale about following your own drum and all that, sympathetic (if you take the time to excuse the naiveté by era and upbringing) protagonist, an engaging story. Something about the structure or, really, the writing was very simplistic (stylistic choices seems like), almost YA like, but it worked. My interest was engaged throughout, what more can you ask for. Thanks Netgalley.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! This was so good! Lost in the Beehive is a fast and easy read, and such a beautiful story. The book starts with Gloria Ricci being attacked by her husband as her young daughter watches, and then quickly cuts to Gloria at 16 in the 1960s, going to an institute that purports to cure homosexuality, after she's caught in the arms of another girl. I don't want to say too much about the rest of the plot, because I think it's best to discover for yourself (though you obviously know from the start that she marries a man and has a child), but it's both heartbreaking and heartwarming in turn. We follow Gloria for the next ten years as she tries to fit herself into the life she thinks she's supposed to live and begins to think about finding the courage to live the one she really desires. Beautiful, emotional story that I highly recommend.

[Lolly K Dandeneau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this way back in November, waiting to post it closer to the release date and guess what, nearly forgot to post my review. Well, just in time for tomorrow's release date! Buy it, read it, talk about it. It's definitly enaging and I am sure bound to start conversations.

via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
"You’ll get better at this place. They’re going to make you like everybody else.”

Nothing scares people more than someone who strays from the ‘norm’ and nothing is more horrifying than loved ones trying to fix you, to make you just like ‘everybody else’. The bees have always come to Gloria Ricci, she is touched by them, and they tell her things in their own way, always near for pivotal moments in her life. Sometimes sad, terrible things unwelcome things like death, and others a presence When she meets Isobel, she feels alive for the first time, to understand intimate things about herself, feelings and emotions that feel natural but are damned by others. When they are caught in an intimate forbidden kiss, the police are involved. It is decided that Belmont is the place to cure her of her illness, homosexuality. It is easy to feel disgust towards her parents, but mind you this was 1965 and there is a lot of fear for their child fitting in, that having this ‘unnatural predilection’ will make life hard, make her a target. If others were successfully cured, then why not their daughter? Surely, it is in her best interest.

At the institute she must hash out every intimate detail, and is shamed, told she is a sinner, the devil’s instrument. The only joy is meeting the beautiful boy Sheffield “Sheff” Schoeffler, who breaks the rules with a simple smile directed at Gloria, who needs the gesture badly. Sheff has the same illness as her, in fact he’s a repeat offender and his humor is the alliance she should stay away from but can’t resist. Fast to learn the rules and speak the words Mrs. Dupree wants to hear during their sessions, it isn’t long before she is allowed to return home, to be a good straight citizen.

There is a sweet tender moment between Gloria and her mother once she is home again that made me warm to her, to forgive her in a sense. I think as parents fear can sometimes make us think we’re acting in our children’s best interest. Most of us just want to make their lives easy, thinking about the time period of the 1960’s, it would be natural to be scared knowing that others see homosexuality as an abomination, and the terrible things people do to ‘teach lessons’ to people who are different. I imagine it’s scary still, decades later.

Most of us know people, some in our own family, who were shamed into hiding their sexuality. Homosexuality was something you didn’t admit to, a very hidden lifestyle. It brought shame upon your family, if you were lucky you were loved and your family didn’t disown you. But certainly you weren’t free to show affection even if you were able to find love and live your life with a same sexed partner. Even in being open you still had to hide signs of affection, too shocking for society, criminal even. These therapies that claim to be cures, seem more to be forced suppression than anything else.

When Sheff encourages her to leave for Greenwich Village, a far more accepting place, they find like-minded people. It’s a city where she can have anything she wants, even according to a fortune-teller. For once, both Sheff and Gloria are free to be their natural selves. But New York isn’t all thrills and funky jazz clubs, it has its darker side and Sheff’s ‘job’ troubles her, easy money or not. Her Peter Pan “Sheff” doesn’t ever want to grow up and it isn’t long before their New York dream descends into darkness.

Something horrific happens and then part two brings us into the future, it is aptly titled with a quote from Jack Kerouac. “This is America. Everybody’s doing what they think they’re supposed to do.” Gloria collapsed, is a former shell of who she was becoming. The bees aren’t done with her, even if she is ‘living’. She tries for a normal life, meets one Jacob Blount and marries him but then there is Betty. Her Peter Pan, “Sheff” never leaves her either, not entirely. All she wants is a home, but where is the right abode for her and with whom? Jack has his own history, his own past, and demons. The ending is bittersweet but what gutted me was the author’s acknowledgements and her inspiration for Sheffield. Without giving any more of the story away, I will say I wait to see books coming out by Stone, I loved Above Us Only Sky and this book is just as unique and meaningful. I can’t wait to hear what others think! I read this months ago and seeing as how my Goodreads buddy Elyse commented how much she loved the novel, I hit myself in the forehead and realized I needed to post a review!

Out tomorrow April 10, 2018

Simon & Schuster

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 STARS

Absolutely Delightful!

“But I have to explain. I have to stop hiding. When I was at the institute, I met this boy, this amazing boy, who assured me that there was nothing wrong with me. We were born how we were born. We shouldn’t feel guilty or apologize for who we were. I loved him. He made me fight for who I was, for what I believed.”

There is something very special about this story. I laughed. I cried. I shook my head in disgust. I nodded in agreement. The writing is seductively and deceptively light and easy, almost playful and casual, while exploring some very powerful social issues and heart wrenching personal losses. I haven’t read a book so quickly in a very, very long time. This one resonated with me on so many levels. It pulled me in and captivated my attention and emotions.

Nothing about her relationship with Isabel felt deviant or unnatural. Isabel’s aunt felt differently. In the fall of 1965 Gloria’s parents send her to the Belmont Institute to help her get better. She was sixteen. She thought nothing could be worse than the deep sadness she felt without Isabel. That was before she entered Belmont! The boy she met at Belmont was there for similar reasons although Shef was never in love but always in lust, a “faggot menace”. Almost instantly they are the best of friends, a relationship that changed the course of their lives forever.

I was repulsed by the images of the combination of aversion therapy with apomorphine as a treatment to cure homosexuality practiced in the 1960s. I was flooded with empathy when the detectives quizzed Gloria about the suicide. I wept with joy as Gloria finally accepted herself for who she truly was, an insight of self -awareness that she sought since she was a little girl.

The bees accompanied Gloria Ricci her entire life but they stung her only twice … once when the boys died and once when she got married. Both events proved to be critical inflection points in her life. Shef traveled with the bees. The symbolism and mysticism of the bees enthralled me … I was rooting for the bees as much as I was imploring Gloria to look inward and marvel at her inner beauty.

“The boy wants you to know that you have to honor who you are.”

Just over a decade after her four month involuntary admission to the Belmont Institute, Gloria comes full circle albeit via an emotionally and physically tortuous route, to discover true love and for the first time since she loved Sheffield Schoeffler so many years ago, genuine happiness and inner peace.

I highly recommend this book. Emotionally compelling and beguilingly riveting, the life and times of Gloria Ricci are as topical today as they would have been in the 1960s. Will we ever learn and understand?

[DeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars on this wonderful character-driven, magical realism novel

I went into this book completely blind except for glowing reviews. We meet Gloria Ricci, a strong character that I grew to love and root for with a passion. Gloria is trying to find her place in the world, including her sexuality. Set in the 1960s, she didn’t find much acceptance. In fact, her parents send her to an institution to try to “fix” her. It is there that she meets Sheff and ultimately begins to present herself as the world demands, not as true to herself. Sheff plays a big part in her life and is a true friend. There is heartbreak and danger along the way for Gloria as she continues to try to “fit in” with society.

There are some other interesting characters in the book, including her uncle and a fortune teller. I liked the magical realism elements with bees and felt that added to the story, made it richer. My thought is that the bees are there to protect her and make her think about her actions. I also enjoyed the character of Zelda.

This was my first read from Michele Young-Stone, I will definitely seek out her earlier books now.

(On a side note, Matthew Shepard was just laid to rest at the National Cathedral and it was heart-breaking to hear his parents say in an interview that we’ve lost so much ground on LGBTQ acceptance in the last two years. I don’t want to get too political, but I wish people were more open to reading books like this to gain some understanding as opposed to being threatened and intolerant.)

[Martha☀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

All her life, Gloria has been told that her feelings are wrong and that she needs to conform. After an 'incident' with another girl at 16, Gloria is shipped off to Belmont to be cured of her lesbianism. The terrible conditions at the institution leave her with no choice but to promise to be normal, just so she can be released. She takes that promise seriously and spends the next decade pursuing the American Dream, marrying a handsome sweet-talker and moving to a house with a picket fence. But she knows that she is living a lie and, as her marital conditions worsen, her desire to follow her instincts grows ever stronger. She finally listens to the bees who have been trying to lead her down the correct path for many years.
This is a quick and powerful read that made me really think about the difficult position that lgbtq+ people are faced with - especially when they are still so young and naive. The fact that this novel takes place in the 60s shows that we, as a society, have matured a lot but there is still so much that society could do to normalize same sex relationships.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 review soon.

[Shereen Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received copy of this book from Simon Schuster in exchange for a review. Plot elements mentioned may not be final.

I liked this, although not as much as I might have expected from the amazing synopsis and first few chapters. I couldn't help but think that the characterization of the MC was a little flat: although of course this might be a product of the time period where the book is supposed to take place, Gloria doesn't really seem to have any passions of her own. She's constantly being defined in relation to her friends and her relationships, and even her love for her kid is described in little detail and with a more tell-instead-of-show style. I was very confused by Gloria's motives sometimes, which didn't seem to have much grounding either in her emotional history or in her immediate reactions to a person/event.

At the same time, I enjoyed the plot, which kept me interested, and the bee motif, which was intriguing. I loved the relationships that develop later on in the book as well, although they also seemed kind of distant to me in their emotional register. I guess I just didn't really click with this book, but it's still worth a read.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the reasons I dislike the phrases “the good old days” and “make America great again” (besides the obvious) is because those days were only best for a subset of Americans. As we see in this book, for years, the LGBTQ community has been subjected to the ridiculousness of “conversion camps”. Not exactly great, America.

I love this book for telling the story of a woman sent to one who then goes through the journey to accept who she really is and finding it good. It felt like a quick read because I was invested in the characters. Definitely recommend.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the few days I read this book I felt as though I, too, had gotten Lost in the Beehive.

It's a wonderful story with a simple message - be true to yourself. It seems like a simple thing but it plays out in quite a remarkable way. Gloria knows who she is, but she's grown up believing she has to hide her true self to fit in and be "normal". So she hides her feelings, marries, then lives through some really nasty stuff before realizing - with the help of the bees - that she can't be anyone else but herself. And once she drops the mask ... she finds her happiness.

I know that sounds simplistic, but a simple story this is NOT! But it IS a tremendously enjoyable story and I highly recommend it to all!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I basically devoured this novel, centered around a young girl who gets sent to a gay conversion camp in the '60s. The story has some truly dark and depressing moments, but there were also a lot of heartwarming elements that made the story delightful instead of dreary. The characters all lifted off the page, and I felt truly invested in the action of the plot. The best part for me was the magical realism element of a hive of bees that follows the main character throughout her life. This had just the right blend of whimsy, magic, and realism. I'll definitely be checking out this author's future work.

[Melissa Wiggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story! I couldn’t put it down, and didn’t want it to end!

[Eileen O'Finlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully told story of a young woman attempting to force herself to be someone she's not in order to fit into society and be considered "normal." Set in the late 1960s & 1970s it follows the life of protagonist, Gloria, who discovers early in her adolescence that she is sexually attracted to other girls. Her parents, hoping to change this, send her to an institution that specializes in "fixing" people like Gloria. Her parents do this as much out of love as ignorance because they truly want Gloria to have a happy life and they believe she will not be happy as a lesbian.

The book does not spend too much time in the institution, giving just enough detail to let the reader know it's a place no one would want to be. It is at the institution that Gloria meets Sheff, the boy who would become her best friend, a friendship that lasts well beyond their time in the institution.

In Gloria's attempt to become "normal" she marries Jacob, a man she hardly knows. From the moment he is introduced readers know he's bad news.

I really liked this book a lot, but I would have liked to see the characters of Gloria's parents fleshed out a bit more. They quickly do a 180 on accepting her for who she really is with little explanation of how they got to that point other than regretting institutionalizing her despite not knowing what was really going on at the institution. Especially given the time period, their too easy acceptance left me a bit puzzled, though I appreciated how much they genuinely loved their daughter and wanted her to be happy.

The characters of Gloria and Jacob are superbly drawn. I was wholeheartedly rooting for Gloria and despising Jacob (he's a character the reader loves to hate) all the way through. Though we only have slight hints as to why Jacob is the way he is, his behavior rings true for a person with a narcissistic personality disorder.

The book's end was satisfying.

Lost in the Beehive gives excellent insight into the cost of trying to force oneself into the mold society demands when it means denying one's true self as well as what it's like to live in an abusive relationship. The psychology behind the characters of Gloria and Jacob (and of Sheff as well) is pitch perfect. This book is a very good read.

https://www.eileenofinlan.com/

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

***I received a copy of this book on Netgalley from Simon Schuster in exchange for my Honest review.*** This is my first time reading a book by this author, I will be reading more from them in the future! In the opening Scene Gloria Ricci is being choked, her head is repeatedly being slammed onto the bathroom’s tiled floor, her daughter is screaming for the abuser to quit hurting her mommy, and she blacks out. From this point/ very begenning I was hooked. It bring into light mental illness, and over comming many thing in her life. Gloria is a wonderful character, and an amazing woman. The main character is a lesbian who when she was young was forced to think "just like everyone else", to "be normal". She learns its ok not to be the everyday normal!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gloria is growing up in the 60's. She gets caught with her girlfriend and is sent to an institution to take the gay out of you. There she meets a boy, Sheff , who is also supposed to be "fixed". This is a wonderful story of love, heartbreak, doing what is expected of you but not being happy and finally accepting yourself and living your life the way you want to.