The Little Bee Charmer of Henrietta Street

by Sarah Webb, Rachel Corcoran (Illustrator)

Dublin 1911

When Eliza Kane and her brother Jonty move from the leafy suburbs of Rathmines to a tenement flat on Henrietta Street they are in for a shock. Pigs and ponies in the yard, rats in the hallways and cockroaches or ‘clocks’ underfoot!

When they meet their new neighbour, Annie, a kind and practical teenager and her brothers, and a travelling circus comes to town, offering them both jobs, helping Madam Ada, the bee charmer, and Albert the dog trainer, things start to look up.

When a tragedy happens in the tenements, Eliza, Jonty and their new friends spring into action.

A tale of family, friendship and finding a new home, with touch of magical bees!

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Book Club, Ireland, Historical Fiction

199 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 20, 2021

About the author

Sarah Webb is an award-winning children’s writer. Her books include Blazing a Trail: Irish Women who Changed the World (illustrated by Lauren O’Neill) and A Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea: Favourite Rhymes from an Irish Childhood (illustrated by Steve McCarthy), both winners of Irish Book Awards.

Sarah also runs creative writing clubs for children and teens, reviews children’s books for the Irish Independent, and programmes children’s and family events for book festivals and MoLI (Museum of Literature Ireland). She also works part-time in a children’s bookshop.

Sarah is passionate about bringing children and books together and was awarded the Children’s Books Ireland Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Books in Ireland.
Her latest book, The Little Beekeeper of Henrietta Street (illustrated by Rachel Corcoran) was published in 2021.

www.sarahwebb.ie
Twitter: @sarahwebbishere
Instagram: @sarahwebbwriter

Reviews

[Aoife · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from O'Brien Press in exchange for an honest review.

It's 1911, Dublin, and Eliza and Jonty are faced with some scary new changes. Due to family circumstances beyond their control, they are having to downsize from their lovely big house and garden Rathmines, to a tenement house on Henrietta Street in the middle of Dublin. Eliza also has to say goodbye to her artist's dreams, and leave college to start looking after her brother and ailing father. But soon the siblings discover that living in a tenement house is being part of a bigger family than just their own, and make new friends quickly. They also visit a travelling circus, and become a part of the crew while trying to keep things together at home.

This was a lovely book that despite some bleak circumstances remained quite cheerful and hopeful. Eliza is a brilliant, resilient character and Jonty was some comic relief for scenes that felt a bit bleak due to his typical little brother behaviour. There is a real sense of found family in this novel from the tenement family that Eliza and Jonty build up with Annie, Tall Joe etc as well as their circis family with Albert and Madam Ada.

While this book is historical fiction, I feel like it touches on things that still affect people and families with children today such as displacement and homelessness. I really appreciated the extra information Sarah Webb included for younger readers from extra tidbits of info on tenements in Ireland and the history of Irish circuses plus extra reading material aimed for readers 9+.

[Barbara Pereira · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was set in 1911, but it feels like it was set in 2023. Landlords making a profit over vulnerable people in Dublin? I've heard about it before...
I am a foreigner living in Dublin, I love Ireland with all my heart, and I am blessed to have a job and to be able to afford my single room, but the housing situation in this city is ridiculous and has gotten out of control a couple of decades ago.

Regarding the book - it is a lovely story filled with charismatic characters and a realistic presentation of Dublin in the 1910s. I liked the extra pages added at the end of the book, telling more about Circus life back in the 10s. I love bees, and they are particularly charming in Ireland! I have never seen such adorable animals as the Irish Bumblebees.

[Isa (Pages Full of Stars) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful book! Definitely one of the best historical middle-grade novels I've ever read. Dublin from early 20th century was depicted really well and realistically, the characters were well developed and the story was interesting. And on top of that, the book has some great messages for young readers - it encourages to be kind and help other people, as well as follow your dreams.

Eliza was a wonderful character. Forced to move to a complete different environment and take care of her little brother and her visually impaired father, she gave her all, but also never gave up on her dream to become an artist. I also adored her relationship with Jontie and friendship with Annie.

Looking at the setting and the circumstances which the characters land in, it could've been a quite dreary and sad story, but the author managed to keep it realistic but heartfelt. And for the readers who are interested in finding out more about the housing system in the 1910s Dublin or circus, there's a lot of additional info and sources at the end.

I pick this book up because of this year's edition of Irish Readathon and I highly recommend it! I think it's perfect for younger readers or just anyone who enjoys a good middle grade book.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood for an easier read and loved this bittersweet YA novel about a Dublin family's time in the Henrietta Street tenement houses. My dad and I visited the 14 Henrietta Street museum last month, so it was an especially meaningful read.

[Nicola Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrated, this was Enid Blyton with a great big dollop of history about life in Dublin in 1911. In fact, it reminded me of one of my favourite Blyton books, 'Mr Galliano's Circus', the thrill of the circus providing a temporary home from home, a place that one can escape to and feel more thoroughly one's self. I loved how each chapter starts with facts about bees. The threads of these facts are stitched into the text as this is the story of strong women and girls who take charge of difficult situations and effect change for the better. Potential leaders. Potential queens. Finally, I loved the notes and photographs of the tenements at the back of the book, with a well-chosen nod to Focus, the organisation who tirelessly works to provide homes for those in need.

[Sal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book; I like books that make me think and the thought of all those people squashed into the tenements made my blood boil, particularly as some of them were owned by councillors and passed as fit for habitation by the council inspectors!
Each chapter began with some facts about bees which I found very interesting and I learnt a lot.
Good book for young people to read, especially when it is based on fact, the circuses that were seen in Ireland, bee charmers , and the housing situation prevalent at the time.

[Eoin · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a gorgeous book. Reminiscent of Jacqueline Wilson’s historical work, Webb’s story of a family falling on hard times in 1911 Dublin is delightful, emotional and full of magical moments. Coziness in a book.

Thank you to O’Brien Press for the ARC 💓

[Eve McDonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Press this book into the hands of any 8+ yo & they will be whisked away to 1911, to the circus, to the bees & the muddy, downtrodden streets of Dublin. That’s where they’ll find Eliza, the little bee charmer & her BRILLIANTLY told story of family, friendship & hope 💛 🐝 Loved it

[Jess Buttermore · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter picked up this darling children’s historical fiction chapter book when we were in Ireland and loved it so much that she insisted I read it too. It was a sweet story and one I would definitely recommend for children in the 8-12 age range.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so incredibly sweet! I loved the plot and all of the facts about bees! I loved the sweet ending and highly recommend!!!

[Mary Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of family, friendship and never giving up, the strands of this book (the hardship of tenement life, the traveling circus and the unique world of bees) roll together, with young Eliza as the pivotal axis, a sort of “Big Top” to give us something special. The careful research into every aspect of the tale slips in easily, painting a clear and vibrant landscape of the times. For every glimpse of hardship and tragedy, there are sparkles of resourcefulness, joy and the kind of magic that can be found even in the worst circumstances. Eliza herself is a marvelous. Her comfortable past has coloured her view of the present situation, but she accepts it…and more to the point, works with it. She is a talented and observant girl; adventurous, tenacious and warmhearted. Jonty is a typical little brother, filled with mischief and boyish charm. You really feel for her Papa; his frustration and discouragement as his failing sight leads him into a place of emotional shadow. The rest of the cast shine through with personality and depth, building a community that you’d love to be part of. It is interesting to note how the bees part of the story echo the events of the plot, with the inclusion of “bee facts” as the heading of each chapter. Their quite dramatic, busy lives create a backdrop to the upcoming action. The bees work together for the good of the hive, and this is both example and shadow of the people of the tenements; how they support each other, regardless of their individual circumstances. Filled with heartbreak, quiet determination, kindness and triumph….and bees. Charming & uplifting.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** SPOILER***
Picked up this book during a trip to Ireland. I'm an adult, but like to read children's books - especially when learning about another country. This book is charming and magical. An "ALERT" and to parents in the US - this is a book written for Irish kids by an Irish writer. Based on my brief visit to Ireland it seems like the harsh realities of poverty and tenement life are embedded in Irish culture. In the US we tend to shield our children from negative topics like this. There are two deaths in this book - one from illness, one from the harsh conditions of tenement life. As an adult, I think this is fine and I think I would have thought it was fine when I was age 9-12 (the age range for the book), but something for US parents to be aware of. When I let a friend borrow it for her child she was tentative and may read the book before passing it to her daughter.