We originally posted The History of Bees in June 2017 and then updated this post in December 2019 with the second two books in the Klimakvartetten series.
In the spirit of Station Eleven and Never Let Me Go, this dazzling and ambitious literary debut follows three generations of beekeepers from the past, present, and future, weaving a spellbinding story of their relationship to the bees and to their children and one another against the backdrop of an urgent, global crisis.
Original title: Bienes historie, translated by Diane Oatley
#1 – The History of Bees
Goodreads Reviews
3.8 rating based on 45,149 ratings (all editions)
ISBN-10: 1501161377
ISBN-13: 9781501161377
Goodreads: 32920292
Author(s): Publisher:
Published: //
In the spirit of Station Eleven and Never Let Me Go, this dazzling and ambitious literary debut follows three generations of beekeepers from the past, present, and future, weaving a spellbinding story of their relationship to the bees, to their children, and to one another against the backdrop of an urgent, global crisis.
England, 1852. William is a biologist and seed merchant who sets out to build a new type of beehive, one that will give both him and his children honor and fame.
United States, 2007. George is a beekeeper fighting an uphill battle against modern farming, but he hopes that his son can be their salvation.
China, 2098. Tao hand paints pollen onto the fruit trees now that the bees have long since disappeared. When Tao's young son is taken away by the authorities after a tragic accident, she sets out on a grueling journey to find out what happened to him.
Haunting, illuminating, and deftly written, The History of Bees joins these three very different narratives into one gripping and thought-provoking story that is just as much about the powerful bond between children and parents as it is about our very relationship to nature and humanity.
#2 – The End of the Ocean
From the author of the #1 international bestseller and Indie Next Pick The History of Bees, a captivating new novel about the threat of a worldwide water shortage as seen through the eyes of a father and daughter.
Goodreads Reviews
3.7 rating based on 14,580 ratings (all editions)
ISBN-10: 006295136X
ISBN-13: 9780062951366
Goodreads: 44890094
Author(s): Publisher:
Published: //
From the author of the #1 international bestseller and Indie Next Pick The History of Bees, a captivating new standalone novel about the threat of a worldwide water shortage as seen through the eyes of a father and daughter.
In 2019, seventy-year-old Signe sets out on a hazardous voyage to cross an entire ocean in only a sailboat. She is haunted by the loss of the love of her life, and is driven by a singular and all-consuming mission to make it back to him.
In 2041, David flees with his young daughter, Lou, from a war-torn Southern Europe plagued by drought. They have been separated from their rest of their family and are on a desperate search to reunite with them once again, when they find Signe's abandoned sailboat in a parched French garden, miles away from the nearest shore.
As David and Lou discover personal effects from Signe's travels, their journey of survival and hope weaves together with Signe's, forming a heartbreaking, inspiring story about the power of nature and the human spirit in this second novel from the author of the "spectacular and deeply moving" (New York Times bestselling author Lisa See) The History of Bees.
#3 – Przewalskis hest
A novel about horses, that doesn’t look like some pony farm in disguise. Three separate story lines that are set in as many centuries and yet somehow belong together. Post-climate-disaster dystopia, love story, family drama, travel adventure – shocking, wonderful, touching, exciting. A manifold of feelings delivered by the unimposing prose – a novel beyond my expectations.
-Matt, Goodreads
Goodreads Reviews
3.9 rating based on 5,997 ratings (all editions)
ISBN-10: 8203364098
ISBN-13: 9788203364099
Goodreads: 50009791
Author(s): Publisher:
Published: //
Publisher's Summary
Translated into 36 languages, winner of the Norwegian Bookseller’s Prize, and the most successful Norwegian author of her generation, Maja Lunde returns with a heart-wrenching tale, set in the distant past and the dystopian future, about extinction and survival, family and hope.
Mikhail lives in Russia in 1881. When a skeleton of a rare wild horse is brought to him, the zoologist plans an expedition to Mongolia to find the fabled Przewalski horse, a journey that tests not only his physicality, but his heart.
In 1992, Karin, alongside her troubled son Mathias and several Przewalski horses, travels to Mongolia to re-introduce the magnificent horses to their native land. The veterinarian has dedicated her life to saving the breed from extinction, prioritizing the wild horses, even over her own son.
Europe’s future is uncertain in 2064, but Eva is willing to sacrifice nearly everything to hold onto her family’s farm. Her teenage daughter implores Eva to leave the farm and Norway, but a pregnant wild mare Eva is tending is about to foal. Then, a young woman named Louise unexpectedly arrives on the farm, with mysterious intentions that will either bring them all together, or devastate them one by one.
Spanning continents and centuries, The Last Wild Horses is a powerful tale of survival and connection - of humans, animals, and the indestructible bonds that unite us all.
Translated from the Norwegian by Diane Oatley