“That tile was a betrayer of mischief, for with its inevitable clunk, the mother of the time would be alerted to whatever plan her offspring had hatched.”

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 471

Published: 1st March 2015

Rate: 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

From the day that old Nana Reja found a baby abandoned under a bridge, the life of a small Mexican town forever changed. Disfigured and covered in a blanket of bees, little Simonopio is for some locals the stuff of superstition, a child kissed by the devil. But he is welcomed by landowners Francisco and Beatriz Morales, who adopt him and care for him as if he were their own. As he grows up, Simonopio becomes a cause for wonder to the Morales family, because when the uncannily gifted child closes his eyes, he can see what no one else can—visions of all that’s yet to come, both beautiful and dangerous. Followed by his protective swarm of bees and living to deliver his adoptive family from threats—both human and those of nature—Simonopio’s purpose in Linares will, in time, be divined.

Set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution and the devastating influenza of 1918, The Murmur of Bees captures both the fate of a country in flux and the destiny of one family that has put their love, faith, and future in the unbelievable.

My Take

I love it when friends recommend books to me and I end up loving them. The Murmur of Bees came to me as a recommendation and I can already tell you it will be one of my best books of 2022. Thank you, Wendy!

I loved everything about this book that I fear I may not do it justice by writing it down so the short of this review is, this book is brilliant and perfect, go read it.

Sofia Segova’s writing is beautiful and lyrical. I’d find myself reading certain words, sentences, and/or paragraphs and have to pause and just revel in that. Her use of language is just beautiful, it left me torn in the best way possible. The Murmur of Bees has a map. Me, who gets excited by maps, was over the moon and I am shy to say how many times I have gone through. It’s a lot.

Translated from Mexican, The Murmur of Bees is a big book but the short chapters had me forget about that and flipped through quickly. It is a page turner and the plot is quite intriguing. From the first page you know you are in for a treat and the book doesn’t disappoint. Another fascinating thing, the chapter titles, something so tiny that brought me so much joy.

“…though she lived in an age of modesty, she knew that the consequence of marital intimacy was children.”

The Murmur of Bees has an ensemble of characters who all have roles to play in the story, every single one wrote so vividly you can see them clearly. From the good, the bad and the morally grey, each characters make the story richer and they development is so good to watch unfold! Something I noted that was a pleasant surprise, the setting/place of the story is a character in itself. Loved it!

The Murmur of Bees is a book that is wonderfully written, slow paced and rich in history. It’s one book that demands your time and attention and I tell you, you will give it willingly and happily. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend.

Have you read The Murmur of Bees? What did you think about it?