Tell It to the Bees

Lydia Weekes is a young woman in a failing marriage. When her 10-year-old son, Charlie, hurts his ribs in a fight her husband reluctantly takes the boy to see the local doctor, Jean Markham. In the doctor's office Charlie is fascinated by a wooden honeycomb and learns that Dr. Markham keeps bees. He gets to visit the beehives and little by little becomes Dr. Markham's little helper in beekeeping. Dr. Markham politely asks Charlie's mother for tea, so that she would know where her son spends so much time. During the visit Jean learns that Lydia likes to read. Jean has a room full of her late father's books she herself is not interested in and afterwards she takes some of the books to Lydia. 

Jean and Lydia come from very different backgrounds. The former is well-educated and has grown up in a wealthy middleclass family while the latter is a workingclass factory worker. However, somehow the two women are drawn to each other. Their friendship grows and during a picnic Lydia suddenly kisses Jean. That kiss opens a whole new world for both of them. They fall in love.

This is, however, a small English community in the 50s. Just the year before somewhere in Britain homosexual men have been imprisoned, and if people were to find out the truth about Jean and Lydia, the consequenses could be devastating for them both. And then the rumors begin to spread...

I enjoyed reading Tell It to the Bees very much. I liked Shaw's writing and both Jean and Lydia and also Charlie were all very likable characters. The story is told partly from Charlie's point of view and partly by Jean and Lydia. This structure worked very well. At one point I was so worried that the story would take a turn I would not like that I put the book down for almost a fortnight, but luckily I had guessed wrong. :) The latter part of the book was very dramatic, though, but to know more, you just have to read it yourself!

Tell It to the Bees was the 12th book I read for the GLBT Challenge this year. So, I'm happy to say rainbow level mission accomplised! :)

Here's a link to a video of Fiona Shaw and Emma Donoghue discussing their novels Tell it to the Bees and Room from the point of view of love and trauma through the child's eyes.