{"product_id":"the-death-of-bees-a-novel-isbn-9780062209849","title":"The Death of Bees: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003eA riveting, brilliantly written debut novel, \u003cem\u003eThe Death of Bees\u003c\/em\u003e is a coming-of-age story in which two young sisters attempt to hold the world at bay after the mysterious death of their parents.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarnie and Nelly, left on their own in Glasgow's Hazlehurst housing estate, attempt to avoid suspicion until Marnie can become a legal guardian for her younger sister.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten with fierce sympathy and beautiful precision, and told in alternating voices, \u003cem\u003eThe Death of Bees \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eby Lisa O’Donnell \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eis\u003c\/em\u003e an enchanting, grimly comic tale of lost souls who, unable to answer for themselves, can answer only for each other.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003eToday is Christmas Eve.\u003cbr\u003eToday is my birthday.\u003cbr\u003eToday I am fifteen.\u003cbr\u003eToday I buried my parents in the backyard.\u003cbr\u003eNeither of them were beloved.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarnie and her little sister, Nelly, are on their own now. Only they know what happened to their parents, Izzy and Gene, and they aren't telling. While life in Glasgow's Maryhill housing estate isn't grand, the girls do have each other. Besides, it's only a year until Marnie will be considered an adult and can legally take care of them both.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs the New Year comes and goes, Lennie, the old man next door, realizes that his young neighbors are alone and need his help. Or does he need theirs? Lennie takes them in—feeds them, clothes them, protects them—and something like a family forms. But soon enough, the sisters' friends, their teachers, and the authorities start asking tougher questions. As one lie leads to another, dark secrets about the girls' family surface, creating complications that threaten to tear them apart.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten with fierce sympathy and beautiful precision, told in alternating voices, \u003cem\u003eThe Death of Bees\u003c\/em\u003e is an enchanting, grimly comic tale of three lost souls who, unable to answer for themselves, can answer only for one another.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“This vibrantly-imagined novel, by turns hilarious and appalling, is hard to resist.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDaily Mail (London)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Wild, witty and as funny as it is unsettling.  \u003ci\u003eThe Death of Bees\u003c\/i\u003e is really about the strength of sisters, the sparkle of imagination and how even the most motley of half lives can somehow coalesce into a shining whole.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHouston Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“We loved this novel and think you will, too…\u003ci\u003eThe Death of Bees\u003c\/i\u003e gives us one of the most memorable protagonists in recent fiction.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLadies’ Home Journal, Book Club\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[A] chiller told in three voices which will intrigue readers to the last pages…O’Donnell has done a masterful job of sketching her characters…The end is largely unexpected and highly dramatic, but at the same time is the perfect ending to this chilling tale…[a] brilliant book.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eExaminer (Northern California)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Lisa O’Donnell, an award-winning screenwriter, grabs the reader from the get-go...” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eFort Worth Star-Telegram\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“With characters and voices the remind me of other strong debut novels (like \u003ci\u003eFates Will Find Their Way\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eVaclav and Lena\u003c\/i\u003e), this book will appeal to readers who like a strong voice, dark humor, and compelling story lines told in a literary yet accessible way.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The author brilliantly paints the characters’ best traits through the eyes of the other characters, and their worst traits through their own voices.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRT Book Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“In more ways than the first line, \u003ci\u003eThe Death of Bees\u003c\/i\u003e reminds me of Donoghue’s \u003ci\u003eRoom\u003c\/i\u003e. Maybe it’s because both authors originated from the United Kingdom. Maybe it’s because both stories carry a darkness brightened only by the innocence of the main characters. - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpencer Daily Reporter\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The sisters and Lennie narrate alternating chapters, moving the story along at a fast clip....The difference between the sisters in terms of personality and maturity puts them at odds despite their shared fear of discovery. But their resilience suggests hope for their blighted lives.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly (boxed review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Quirky characters with distinct voices enliven this sometimes grim and often funny coming-of-age story in the vein of Karen Russell’s best seller \u003ci\u003eSwamplandia!\u003c\/i\u003e O’Donnell’s debut is sure to be a winner.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The most original and incredible piece of writing I’ve come across in years.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHelen Fitzgerald, author of Dead Lovely\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Death of Bees\u003c\/i\u003e steadily draws you into its characters’ emotional lives.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Death of Bees\u003c\/i\u003e is compelling stuff, engaging the emotions from the first page and quickly becoming almost impossible to put down.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHerald (Scotland)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“O’Donnell walks a fine line, describing appalling events without ever allowing the novel to lose its warm heart....\u003ci\u003eThe Death of Bees\u003c\/i\u003e is that rare thing: a family-values black comedy.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChristian Science Monitor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Death of Bees\u003c\/i\u003e is completely addictive. A beautiful and darkly funny story of two sisters building a fantasy within a nightmare.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAlison Espach, author of The Adults\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“O’Donnell’s wildly original debut examines the intricacies of betrayal and loyalty within one family and their effects on two vulnerable young girls…With a gritty but redemptive take on family and the price of secrets, O’Donnell’s debut will be well-received by fans of mainstream literature and Scottish noir mysteries alike.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“As a gothic novel and a psychological look at the effects of trauma, it had verve and nerve…O’Donnell knows how to keep a reader engaged, and her sympathy -- and hope -- for her characters tempers what could have been a sordid tale.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eColumbus Dispatch\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This is a sweet, funny book filled with two sister’s unrelenting love for each other and their determination to stay together at all costs…it is a good read and if you are interested in being taken on a crazy ride, this is the book for you.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBibliophage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The quirky characters and thrilling plotlines will leave readers anxious to find out what will become of the girls.  This poignant, compelling, and hopeful tale teaches readers that a desperate situation can always be alleviated by reaching out to others.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Hub\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“In this first novel she pulls off the unusual pairing of grisly and touching.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Mixing \u003ci\u003eThe Ladykillers\u003c\/i\u003e with Irvine Welsh’s \u003ci\u003eThe Acid House\u003c\/i\u003e… O’Donnell adeptly balances caustic humour and compassion.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“As the action reaches a feverish climax…dark comedy is replaced by nerve-shredding tension…the reader is thoroughly caught up in the emotional trials and tribulations of two unlikely heroines….Warm without being cozy, explicit without being shocking, and emotive without being schmaltzy…a powerful coming-of-age tale…” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eScotsman\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Warm without being cozy, explicit without being shocking, and emotive without being schmaltzy . . . a powerful coming-of-age tale.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eScotsman\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An unusual coming-of-age novel that features two sisters who survive years of abuse and neglect....The author’s experience as a screenwriter is most definitely apparent, as the reader always hears the voices and can visualize the dramatic, sometimes appallingly grim scenes. Recommended.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“O’Donnell’s finely drawn characters display the full palette of human flaws and potential. Told in the alternating voices of Marnie, Nelly, and Lennie, this beautifully written page-turner will have readers fretting about what will become of the girls.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44890387874021,"sku":"NP9780062209849","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062209849.jpg?v=1730233172","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-death-of-bees-a-novel-isbn-9780062209849","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}