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I might never have picked up this book had Amazon not had it up for free for “Celebrate World Book Day.�� As it is I got the kindle for free and picked up the audiobook version for $1.99. And it was worth it!
The story takes place in a fictional country which is assumed to be Tunisia, shortly after the Arab Spring. There’s a beekeeper, Sidi, who lives in the village of Nawa; he is a gentle man who talks to his bees and cares for them with tenderness as one would care and talk to their pet cats or dogs. He calls them his “girls.�� One morning finds his colonies of bees have been murdered by killer hornets. Parallel to his bees is the strife created by upcoming elections. Together with the theme of ecological wellness, of protecting the species of the earth, are themes of political corruption, fading democracy, religious righteousness, and fanaticism. Men enveloped in their own version of Islamic godliness are more bent on violence and personal enrichment than the kindness their religion espouses and come down hard on the villagers.

The book depicts the delicate balance of our world ecology and the importance of believing in science, and the danger of not doing so. If the bees are representative of working folks going about their business in the world, the hornets are representative of those who would attack without cause, for the sake of conquering and destruction. Unfortunately, a very appropriate theme for the situation in our world in April of 2022.

There is, however, a glimmer of hope, of kindness, and positivity within the book �� one can only hope that this is not just a mirage in real life.