Short Synopsis
In Peggy Hesketh's poignant debut novel, an elderly beekeeper looks back on his quiet life and the secrets of a woman he never truly knew.

Full Synopsis
Albert Honig's most constant companions have always been his bees. A never-married octogenarian, he makes a modest living as a beekeeper, as his father and his father's father did before him. Deeply acquainted with the workings of the hives, Albert is less versed in the ways of people, especially his friend Claire, whose presence and absence in his life have never been reconciled.

When Claire is killed in a seemingly senseless accident during a burglary gone wrong, Albert is haunted by the loss and by the secrets and silence that hovered between them forso long. As he pieces together the memories of their shared history, he will come to learn the painful truths about Claire's life and the redemptive power of laying the past to rest.

"Using nuance and understatement to achieve maximum emotional impact, Dietz's style is an ideal match for this quietly powerful story of lives and loves choked off by the crushing weight of dark secrets." ---AudioFile

"Reminiscent of Marilynne Robinson's Gilead, Hesketh's debut explores family secrets and end-of-life reflections. . . . [Listeners] in search of a heartfelt, thought-provoking novel will find what they are looking for in this journey through the life of an unassuming apiarist who knows more about his reclusive neighbors than anyone could guess." ---Library Journal Starred Review

"A story of shared history, secrets of omission, and revisited memories, Telling the Bees is nostalgic and hauntingly poetic." ---Booklist

"Wonderful! . . . Telling the Bees reminds us that even the quietest life will still hold its full measure of drama and passion." ---Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club

AudioFile Earphones Award Winner

Library Journal Review

Washington Post Bestseller