Title: The Murmur Of Bees
Author: Sofia Segovia
Genre: Historical Fiction
First published: March 1st 2015
Publisher: AmazonCrossing
Finished reading: April 7th 2019
Pages: 471
(Originally written in Spanish: ‘El Murmullo De Las Abejas’)
“Simonopio was for the outdoors, for the wild. He was for reading life, not books.”
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and AmazonCrossing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
I was attracted to this story as a bee to honey right from the very first time I saw it mentioned. I love stories with an international setting and I’m always trying to read more international authors… In The Murmur Of Bees I got both. This story was originally written in Spanish in 2015, and its translation is scheduled to be published later this month. It’s a historical fiction tale set in early 20th century Mexico, where historical facts are mixed with the surreal in such a way that will keep you invested until the very end. With an air of the writing style of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Murmur Of Bees tells us the story of a wealthy land owner family and how the appearance of the mysterious Simonopio both saved and changed their lives forever. The writing is lush and wonderful and will truly transport you to a different time and country… It’s a story of love, joy, sadness and desperation; a story of different generations, family and a country damaged by war and the 1918 influenza outbreak. Rather than magical realism, I would call The Murmur Of Bees an extraordinary work of historical fiction with a hint of the surreal. Both Simonopio and his bees and the folklore tales incorporated into stories are incorporated in such a way that they create a perfect balance with the rest of the plot and they give The Murmur Of Bees an unique touch. The historical setting is well developed and it really shows the author has well researched the era and has also included details of historical events partly or completely. The result is a complex and enchanting story and a journey any fan of the genre will enjoy undertaking.
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Wonderful review! I love the sound of this one.
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It was such a a wonderful story! I loved the historical setting.
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Great review! This is sitting in my TBR from netgalley! I’ll have to get to it now!
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I hope you will enjoy it when you pick it up!
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AmazonCrossing? Never heard of it.. Great review Yvo, I’m looking into historical fiction from now on as well.. but I’d still like a thriller-element so I’m not sure this one would do, even if there is a threat from killer bees.
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It’s a US publisher that translates books by international authors and they always have an interesting selection on NG. 😉 If you are looking for a thriller element The Murmur Of Bees probably won’t do… The bees are actually inoffensive haha. It’s more historical fiction, family drama with a hint of the surreal; a murder does take place but it’s only a tiny part of the plot.
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Historical fiction can really be a hit! It’s amazing! This book sounds wonderful!
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It’s one of my favorite genres when done right, and The Murmur Of Bees is definitely a new favorite.
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This sounds gorgeous Yvo, terrific review. I love how it’s set in Mexico too, I visited there last year and fell in love! 😍
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I imagine having visited Mexico would make this story even more special! I love reading about foreign settings I’ve actually been able to visit myself… This story was wonderful in general.
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