THE HISTORY OF BEES

Three parallel timelines, each with a connection to bees, alternate in this audiobook from Norwegian author Maja Lunde. In near-future China, Tao works as a laborer, hand-pollinating crops following the extinction of bees; in Ohio, 2007, a bee farmer clashes with his son over the son's chosen career path; and in rural England in the 1850s, a depressed scientist designs a new beehive. The narrators, each reading a different subplot, transition the listener easily between them. This thoroughly researched novel relies heavily on exposition and internal narration, however, and plodding pacing from Joy Osmanski and Steve West, in particular, may have listeners struggling to remain engaged. E.C. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2017]