Saturday, June 10, 2023

The Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton-Porter*

 Jamie has given up on life. After fighting in the war, he returns to the states to find his parents are deceased and contends with a wound that won't heal. He escapes the hospital and ventures out on his own, walking the roads in California. He passes a lovely cottage where an elderly man calls for help. Michael Worthington is the owner of the flower-filled property. As he tries to recover in the hospital, he asks Jamie to live there and care for his gardens and his apiary. Jamie forms friendships with a next door neighbor woman and a fiesty youngster who is Michael's partner, and also meets a mysterious woman on a stormy night. In the process, Jamie begins to heal physically and spiritually.

*Highly recommend for those who like a longer story written in the 1920s. I found the story a bit unrealistic at points, preachy, and old-fashion but still enjoyed it. Also, the word d**n was used a few times throughout the book but seeking God was also a component. I felt the two were incompatible. 

Recommended for high school and older/warnings-one character has a baby out of wedlock, d**n a few times, **SPOILER ALERT-the fiesty youngster, Scout, does not reveal her gender until the end. She doesn't like being a girl so she tries to act and dress like a boy (an interesting aspect to include in the 1920s . . .I found it especially interesting because of our current situation with gender identity!) 

-Borrowed inter-lib loan



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