A Hive For The Honeybee

by Soinbhe Lally, Patience Brewster (Illustrator)

After they befriend two unusual, philosophical drones, worker bees Thora and Belle begin to look at their surroundings, their purpose, and even their future in a new and different way. Reprint.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Philosophy, Animals, Childrens

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, the highlight of this book were the exquisite, whimsical, magical illustrations by Patience Brewster (there's a colonial name if I ever heard one!). They head each chapter. I found myself getting lost in them, studying them, and I'm afraid I was less into the story itself. However, this was a wonderful way to learn about the amazing world of bees and how intricate and complex their working lives are.

It was a tad like Animal Farm, and Lally brings into the mix subtle discussions of social, religious, and gender roles and expectations. Does this fit into a book for children? I'm not sure, nor is the heavy death subject one that will leave children satisfied in the end. But I enjoyed finding this in the library book sale pile and hope someone else will enjoy it as well when I return it there for the next reader!

[Ash - SEE BIO FOR UPDATE · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book as a child, and to this day it is still one of my favourites. Not only is it a beautiful and heartbreaking story about bees, it's full of allegory and metaphor for much larger issues without taking away from the nature of the story itself.

[lowercase · Rating 4 out of 5]

an odd, endearing little book, with a poignant story that stays with you long after you have closed it and put it away.

[Nerija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at Postcards from La-La Land.

I first read this book sometime in high school, and now re-read it for the From the Bowels of Obscurity Book Club (yes, I can hear all your inner 12-year-olds giggling at "bowels" ;-) )
. . . . .

I know. I know, guys. I hate bees. HAAAAATE. THEM. Ok, I’m being dramatic, but in all seriousness, long before I became allergic, the sight of a bee or wasp would put me in panicked flight mode.

These days I’m a leeettle calmer; my reaction to a bee in the house is usually to shout “Hoooooly snap” while backing away slowly and finding someone to please kill it for me thank you I’ll be in the next room with the door closed tell me when it’s over bye.

And yet, I love this book. Maybe it’s because Patience Brewster’s illustrations make the characters look more like faeries than bees – creatures with human faces, bees’ bodies, and long spindly legs. It’s something between whimsical and surreal, and I love it. Oh, and since these illustrations appear at the start of each chapter, she often incorporates the chapter number into whatever’s happening in the drawing. For instance, we see a worker bee fanning away the number 2 as she cools the honeycombs. Or, as sunlight shines on one of the drones, the number 19 stretches shadow-like on the ground beneath him.

The story follows the life cycle of a generation of bees who stay behind when their old Queen leaves to start a new hive. We focus particularly on four characters: gentle, dreamy Thora; practical, no-nonsense Belle; idealistic poet Alfred; and rebel/activist Mo.

The story is partly an allegory for government incompetence/irrelevance, religious fanaticism, and gender relations. It’s humorous and satirical, but sometimes melancholy – the copyright page lists “fatalism” as one of the subjects.

In terms of the nitty-gritty aspects of bee life (i.e. the way their bodies work, from storing nectar, to secreting wax, to mating and giving birth*), Lally is matter-of-fact, using plain technical terms like “progenitive organs” and “fecundation.” She doesn’t skip the harsh aspects, either – the disposal of dead bees, for instance – but her portrayals are never gratuitous or vulgar.

The one thing I didn’t like was the portrayal of Alfred as “a fat, bumbling drone” who blunders around, gorges himself drunk on honey, and generally seems like “an idiot, [though] a nice idiot.” It’s an unfortunate cliché in the media for larger people to be portrayed as silly and/or stupid. At best, Lally’s portrayal of Alfred is lazy characterization, falling back on an overused trope.

Overall, though, A Hive for the Honeybee is just lovely. It’s light-hearted and funny, but also somber and haunting. It’s an allegory, but one that will leave you wondering: what is the message? Are we meant to sympathize with those who want to challenge tradition and promote individual desires, or with those who want to stick with the-way-things-are-done? In my view, there’s no simple answer.

* if you’re the Queen, of course.

P.S. The book title comes from W. B. Yeats’ “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” –

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee;
And live alone in the bee-loud glade. …

[Gabby Kloppenburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book a long time ago, and it made me cry. I saw it on the shelf of the library in the children's section and I decided to pick it up again. I'm glad I did. Much older now than I used to be, I picked up on all sorts of subtleties in this book. Of course the Amazing commentary on gender roles, but also on entitlement, and even a bit on the value of art vs. utilitarian skills. I would recommend this to any middle grade reader, or older reader who wants a quick read that makes them think. Also, I would definitely compare this book to Jonathan Livingston Seagull, so if you liked that, then definitely pick this up.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I immensely enjoyed this story and it definitely gave me Animal Farm vibes. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a fast paced read and who enjoys reading about the preconceived notions and order surrounding politics, society and class structures.
(I wish I read this in year 11 or 12 while I was studying dystopian novels too! Would have been a fantastic supp text)
I also learnt quite a lot about bees which was actually very interesting haha :)

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this book and being struck with its bittersweet truth, and how something so remarkably strange could be so wonderful. It's one of those books that I reread every now and then, being unable to forget it.

[Lauder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this book, and it always makes me cry at the end! It is my relaxing day book! :)

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really messed me up as a 12 year old when I first read it. Awesome.

[sleepvoid · Rating 5 out of 5]

what the heck. 5 stars. this was just what i was looking for and it succeeded in getting me out of my reading slump. i felt quite sad at the end despite being annoyed at the drones. i'm strangely drawn to these kinds of bittersweet endings. to the person who uploaded this on internet archive, THANK YOU!!

[Dearbhla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thora is a newly hatched bee. The queen has just swarmed and those that are remaining in the hive are all awaiting their new queen. They continue to work and live, but their lack is always present. She, unlike most of the female worker bees, befriends some drones. They are full of their own importance. Drones do not work, they are fed when they demand it. Are groomed when they demand it. They see themselves as lords of the hive.

Thora’s friend Belle isn’t so sure. She just doesn’t see the point of drones. What use are they?

Last year I read Laline Paull’s The Bees and just after that I came across this book in our schools store at work. So I picked it up and left it onmy trolley. Only now am I getting around to reading it.

In many ways A Hive for the Honey-Bee is a very different book to The Bees, Lally’s book is aimed at children so it is a shorter story for one. It is also a simpler book. It was written before the current bee crisis was known about and so there is no sense of worry about the future in it. But I was surprised at how similar the two books were, even the names of the bees. Here the main character is Thora, in Paull’s it was Flora. Many of the same elements are covered in both books, invaders coming to steal honey, the role of the drones in bee society, the importance of the hive and the swarm above an individual bee. And both books start with the life of a bee and end with her death.

But I don’t mean to suggest that Paull copied this, just that I suppose there are only so many stories you can tell about a bee that lives in a hive when you are trying to stick to nature’s rules.

It probably isn’t really fair to either book to compare them but it is hard not to, there aren’t too many books out there told from the perspective of a worker bee. Or at least, not too many that I’m aware of, it isn’t something I’ve ever gone looking for so perhaps there are more out there?

Using bees as your central characters brings with it some problems or course, bees aren’t really individuals. Workers work til they die. Drones laze around and live off the workers until they are kicked out of the hive for the winter. Only the queen lives for any length of time and her purpose is to lay eggs. It is hard to make an engaging story out of that, but I think that Lally did a great job here. Sure, there is plenty that you could write about allegories and pointing out problems in human society, but I read it for the story. And on that level it really worked.

I’d have to say that I really enjoyed this book. And the ending was surprisingly moving despite you knowing what was coming all along. If you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary I’d have to recommend this as a lovely, simple story.

[Josh Stoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: This book is literally about a hive of bees, one of which, Thora, is beginning to question her community. As bees, there's a general mindset of hive over individual that pervades Thora's existence. She's joined by three other bees: Belle, Albert and Mo. Mo suggests diplomacy with the wasps, the bees' mortal enemies, with disastrous-- and unpredictable-- results.
Main characters:
Thora is an interesting character, in that she's one voice of dissent amidst a crowd of bees who not only approve of the way things are, but don't even understand what it means to go against the wishes of the hive.
Albert is a poet bee who writes in metaphors none of his fellow bees understand-- he seems to be the only bee capable of thinking of something in any other way than completely literally.
Mo is a rebellious quasi-anarchist bee who has radical ideas about where the hive, politically speaking, should go.
Belle is a somewhat strong-headed bee who, it could be argued, starts Thora down the road of questioning her existence, although she never really follows Thora down that road terribly far.
Key issues:
Bees, collectivism, allegory, free will, metaphor, euthanasia, independence.

Other interesting information:
This is a well-written political allegory that manages to touch on other weighty subjects, such as what to do with a larva who was released to early from his egg and will never grow to a fully fledged bee. If this political commentary is of interest to you, an obvious choice would be to check out The Giver, or possibly City of Ember.
If the allegory interests you, try Animal Farm.

[Maryn Bombeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the story takes place in a beehive, this simple tale is a sweet and touching reflection on human nature, on beginnings and endings, on wisdom and life. It would all be a bit heavy if the life of this hive hadn't included some humorous touches and now and then something extremely funny, like the officious Grand Drone who declares himself the leader of the hive, then ordains himself priest of a religion focused on worship of the Great Drone in the Sky. Mainly, though, there are likable characters who help each other along through life, each contributing what they can. Although the book looks like an old-fashioned children's book, much of what makes it so good would be lost on children younger than middle school. I would recommend it for anyone who is interested in more serious topics that are played out through metaphors. Soinbhe has created a readable, interesting tale for readers in this novel. She uses the social structure of bee society as a mirror image of our own. At any rate, the book blends fact and fiction seemlessly into a bittersweet tale that provides both fantasy and information, not an easy accomplishment. A fun read with marvelous illustrations unlike any other book I have read. I am definitely looking forward to reading her other books.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was unlike anything else I've ever read. While imbuing her bees with somewhat human emotions and situations, I think Lally manages not to take away their "bee-manity" entirely, either, which creates a very unique reading experience. We are able to see ourselves in the individuals, and within this strange society--but, only sometimes. Other times, this society is so bee-like that it becomes too foreign to relate with. It was beautifully written, and moving, as well. I don't know that I see it much as a children's book. Either a great deal would go over a child's head, or they might be a bit startled by the direct approach to things like life/death, gender roles, sex, and religion. That being said, a mature child would probably appreciate the book, and it's definitely not graphic or overtly explicit.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this randomly at a thrift shop, was intrigued by the title, read it, and was not at all expecting the searing, Animal Farm-esque allegorical commentary woven throughout. I was thinking this would be a little more lighthearted but was impressed and challenged by the questions and ideas broached by the author. Why this book is not more well-known is beyond me, since it was exquisite and beautiful. (9)

[Reene's Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

" A hive for the honeybee"
by Soinbhe Lally

🐝🍯

I had this book on my shelves for such a long time, I remember reading it when I was in primary school and I loved it then and I loved it again now.

It was a beautiful storyline of a 🐝 bees life with how bees life is in a beehive and it's also very meaningful.

⭐⭐⭐/5

@reenes_library

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[Emalee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author was very scientifically accurate when she told how the hive worked, so it gave a very good picture as to how the hive operates. But she gave the bees personalities and feelings; made them more like people than bees, giving it an effect similar to that of Animal Farm. While you wonder at the amazing order, you're horrified at the brutality.

[Rachel Estes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Equally adorable and thrilling! The story and accompanying drawings follow a worker bee through a lifetime in the hive - with all the different groups, their interactions with each other and everything else. It’s satirical commentary on war, gender, labor rights, and so much more - but written in a playful kids book style.

[Chiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book again, because I remember loving it when I was about eleven. The weird thing was, I remembered nothing of it and found it to be quite adult in nature. Nevertheless I enjoyed reading it again.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. It was a nice quick read that I got through in one day. I was slightly surprised when I started it because it was a little more adult than I expected (only a little). A quick read for all ages.

[Lori Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. Loved. This. Book. So clever and beautiful! I paid 33 cents for this at a thrift store as a birthday present for my sister since she is a novice beekeeper. She gave it back and ordered me to read it and am I ever so glad I did!

[Kayla Zabcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

88%

A quick read that is both a metaphorical take on Western society/politics and a well-researched, informative tale about honeybees. I'm surprised I'd never heard of it before because it seems like the perfect candidate for a high school literature class - full of depth and hidden meaning, while being both a tad depressing and vaguely hopeful.

Surprisingly insightful, this is the type of book that stays with you long after you've read the last page.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sweet, was waiting for more sociological commentary that never came. But it was educational on bees themselves

[Joy Hollingsworth]

LOVED!!!!!!! A cute and meaningful look into life, from the honeybee's perspective. Lots of overarching life insights for us humans too!

[Gail Kennon · Rating 3 out of 5]

dare is say a bitter sweet tale of the life of a hive and the individual stories of a few special members. it was engaging.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a hard book to review. There isn't really a problem in this story. It all starts with a three day old worker bee named Thora who is busy fanning the the hive to keep it cool. The hive is in the middle of separating, half staying and half going to a new place. Thora meets Belle, also a worker bee three days older than her. She also meets two drones Mo and Alfred. The four of them become friends and Mo and Alfred teach Thora and Belle how to dream. This book is about Thoras life and the changes in it.
I picked this book up because Mr. Gould recommended it to me.
I finished this book because it was , in a weird way, pretty good.
I would recommend this book to Katherine because this book is sortof like the book the boy in the stripped pajamas and i know that she likes that book.

[Summreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up becuase i thought the cover was lovely. And the inside was lovely as well. The story is about a hive of bee's and the social going-ons in the hive. there are classes of bee's who are assigned different duties in the order of the hive. great commentary on our own social systems. Would be a great movie.....and, for the second book in a row, i got to the end and realised its for 'younger readers.' :-)

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really what I expected, but an interesting idea. Small philosophical questions sprinkled throughout; a bit of poetry. I was slightly surprised at the ending. Makes me want to study bees. I might shelve it in the YA collections rather than JF.

[Kerry Clair · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a children's book or something to read to your children, but I really had to admit I enjoyed it a great deal! :) Absolutrly charming and incorporates all the true aspects of how a hive works into a story. Loved this.

[Megan Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love this book. it is about the honeybee building there home.