Hour of the Bees
Lindsay Eagar, Author
Candlewick Press, Fiction, Mar. 8, 2016
Pages: 360
Suitable for Ages: 8-12
Themes: Family relationships, Heritage, Magic, Grandfather, Dementia, Forgiveness, Understanding, Loss
Book Jacket Synopsis: While her friends are spending their summers having pool parties and sleepovers, twelve-year-old Carolina –Carol — is spending hers in the middle of the New Mexico desert, helping her parents move the grandfather she’s never met off his dying sheep ranch and into a home for people with dementia.
At first Carol keeps her distance from prickly Grandpa Serge, whose eyes are impossibly old and who chastises “Caro-leeen-a” for spitting on her roots. But as the summer drags on and the heat bears down, she finds herself drawn to Serge, enchanted by his stories about an oasis in the desert with a green-glass lake and a tree that gave the villagers the gift of immortality — and the bees that kept the tree alive.
When Serge weaves details of his own life into his stories and tells her to keep an eye out for the bees he is certain will return to the ranch and end the century-long drought, she chalks it up to dementia. But as the thin line between magic and reality starts to blur, Carol must decide for herself what is possible — and what it means to be true to her roots.
Why I like this book:
Lindsay Eagar’s heartfelt and sensitive intergenerational story is about finding and honoring your roots. The language is strong and lyrical and captures the growing bond between Carolina (Carol) and Grandfather Serge. And there is an intermingling of Spanish and English that adds authenticity to the setting.
It also is a coming of age story for a 12-year-old Carol, who is the only family member interested in really getting to know her grandfather and is spellbound with his storytelling about a special tree that keeps the Spanish community safe, a girl who dares to leave and explore the world, and living forever.
The characters are realistic and believable. Carol is a curious, sweet, patient and reliable tween who is the only family member who respects and even admires her grandfather. She attempts to connect with him, even when he lapses into the past and mistakes Carol for her Grandmother Rosa. Grandfather Serge is a crusty old man who is battling dementia and won’t leave his run-down sheep ranch. He can spin a great story and Carol wants to hear them all.
The plot is original with moments of action and tension in the ravaged desert environment that will keep readers engaged. There are personality struggles that teens will relate to with Carol and her sister, Alta, and Carol’s father and Grandfather Serge. This magical story inside the story is beautifully written and one you won’t forget. I LOVED The Hour of the Bees. The ending is very satisfying and will capture readers’ imaginations.
This is a helpful story for teens who have grandparents suffering with dementia. It gives them insight into ways of communicating and connecting with loved ones. It is also an interesting story to read, discuss and write about because of the many layered themes.
Check other Middle Grade review links on author Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.
Children's Books Heal 
There certainly are many of kids who have relatives with dementia, so this one will probably resonate with a lot of people. I note your blog page is “snowing”. Does that mean it’s snowing in OH?
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It will resonate in a quirky kind of way because there is a touch of magical realism in it — which adds to the intrigue. It’s snowing in north of us, but the snow is provided by WordPress to all of its subscribers in January. It is fun!
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These type of stories are always touching in the way they explore the relationship between a young person and their grandparent. I am interested in reading this one as I just finished another book of this type, HOW TO AVOID EXTINCTION. Thanks for your thoughts.
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This book is quite unusual and includes some magical realism, or a very long tale that the reader may choose to believe or not. But, once you get into the story you can’t put it down. Will have to read the book you suggested.
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As Susan noted above, I think this book will resonate with many families going through similar experiences.
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It will! It is an engaging story that is very different from others. I love the quirky relationship between Carol and Grandpa Serge! And I love his beautiful stories.
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This is such a timely topic & I love that it’s not just intergenerational but multilingual, too. I’ll look for this one at the library. Thanks.
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I think you’d enjoy the story. It’s a good story, with very interesting characters and a heartwarming relationship between Carol and her grandfather.
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Wow. This sounds really good. I’ve added it to my list. Sign. My very long list. I hope I can catch up in January!
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I know, our lists do become long when we read reviews. This one is worth reading. I loved the bond between Carol and Grandpa Serge.
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This sounds like a lovely and important book. So many young people are facing having grandparents with dementia. This is going right on my TBR list. Thanks for telling me about it.
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That’s great! I hope you enjoy reading this beautiful story with a cast of great characters.
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I love books where the line between magic and reality begins to blur. Already have this on my TBR list. Nice review! And nice snowflakes. 🙂
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Yes, I enjoy magical realism — the line blurs in this story. It makes you wonder. WordPress provides the snowflakes to its customers in December.
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I really enjoyed your review, thank you. My mother in law is in the early stages of dementia and I feel this would be an excellent way to introduce the subject to my grandchildren.
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Thank you for visiting. I really enjoyed this story because it had multiple layers, a strong relationship between Carol and her grandfather, and it had a hint of magical realism with all of his stories.
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I love the magical realism included in the story. Folks with dementia, like my mother, tend to tell stories that are part real, part fiction and often magical. I often wonder where my mother gets her stories from or what incites her to tell them. Often children can relate to them much better than those of our generation. A good choice to review.
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Yes, the magical realism really contributed to this story in a very charming way. And, it made you think. The relationship between Carol and her grandfather is so interesting. I enjoyed this book a lot!
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