On the threshold of thirty, Helen Jukes feels trapped in the urban merry-go-round of office intrigue and temporary addresses. Trying to settle into her new job in Oxford, she realizes that in order to live a meaningful life filled with love and work, she must change herself. That's when her friends give her a colony of bees (according to old myths, a donated colony of bees brings good luck) and Helen begins her first year of beekeeping. But what does "breeding" these wild creatures entail? How can new knowledge about bees contribute to self-discovery? And will the journey to the bowels of the hive bring her release?
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It is a book as surprising, beautiful and awe-inspiring as the life of bees and the hive.
- Helen MacDonald, author of J as a Hawk
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As Helen finds her role in the beehive's amazing ecosystem, the very act of keeping brings her a new perspective on life, deepens her friendships (old and new), and enlivens her world. Her narration is a fascinating journey in the footsteps of bees and their hive, as well as the history of our observation of bees. It is a fascinating reflection on responsibility and care, on vulnerability and trust, on the creation of new bonds and entering fields not yet explored.