Book Review: THE MURMUR OF BEES by Sofía Segovia

THE MURMUR OF BEES by Sofía Segovia was among a handful offered as a free e-book by Amazon Crossing, as part of World Book Day in March. Otherwise, it likely would not have been on my radar.

Translated from Spanish, The Murmur of Bees was a fun read for me because of my fascination with those honey-makers (and my horror at seeing our desert – FILLED with blooms from a wet spring – nearly absent of bees!). The setting also interested me, given my physical proximity to the Mexico border.

I fell in love with Simonopio and his ability to commune with nature – and his gift of a sixth sense.  Franciscos and Beatriz and the Nanas were interesting characters as well. And while this story did elicit tears, I felt it could have been pared down considerably for repetition in some areas. In some instances, as well, it is written in a more narrative “tell” style (perhaps a product of translation?), but I found the writing to be lovely overall.

In the end, reading THE MURMUR OF BEES by Sofía Segovia on the treadmill, I was entertained and invested in this story filled with touches of magical realism and lore, and themes of familial love, hope, and the historic value placed on land acquisition (as well as its legacy).

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(A version of Melissa Crytzer Fry’s review of THE MURMUR OF BEES by Sofía Segovia was published at GoodReads on May 22, 2019. It is reposted here with the permission of the reviewer.)

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