The Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees

I read this book for book club. What a find! Ms. May is a gifted writer with a compelling story of a painful childhood that was blessed by a "step" grandfather. I knew I'd have an ugly cry at the end and I wasn't mistaken. Moving and beautiful, a testament to human relationships and the stunning complexity of bees. It's a definite future re-read, it was that beautiful for me.

I became very engrossed in this wonderful story and became attached to the main character and her family. This is beautiful descriptive writing that had the right combination of emotion and detail. This was clever and interesting about a family and the influence of beekeeping on the little girl's life. There was always optimism infused by the endearing grandfather, one each of us would long to have or miss the one we did have. There were so many moments that were gratifying and special that I had to read over them more than once. I highly recommend this book to everyone and know it will generate many interesting discussions of what parts each reader liked the best.

This was a good family story with good messages! It did hit close to home with me in some places. I felt good seeing that some of my feelings are OK. Puts a smile on me face. I loved seeing how this little girl grew with her mind and heart in the right place. I loved seeing her step-Grandfather being such a big part of her life and who she grew up to be. She and her brother were good for him too. This is a heart warming story with lots to learn in parenting and grandparenting. Sadly not every family has that one special person there to see that all does turns out well and happy!

The book not only reveals much about the human condition- particularly parenting and childhood, but teaches the reader much about bees. I can never look at one again without marveling at their role in the very interdependent ecology.

I LIKED THE OVERALL MESSAGE AND EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK. A MUST READ! MEREDITH UNDERSTOOD THE ORDER OF BEE LIFE THAT HER GRANDFATHER TAUGHT HER AND LEARNED HOW THEY LIVED AND FUNCTIONED. THIS IN TURN HELPED HER UNDERSTAND THAT THE WORLD WAS SO MUCH LARGER THAN HER FAMILY'S CHAOS AND PROBLEMS: HER SADNESS OVER THE LOSS OF HER PARENTS, HER MOTHER'S LACK OF PARENTING AND NOT JUST BEING THERE FOR HER AND HER BROTHER, HER MOTHER'S UNPREDICTABLE MOODS AND BEHAVIORS, DEEP DEPRESSION, HOSTILITY AND ANGER. THE BEES TAUGHT HER THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING CARE OF HERSELF, THAT DEFEAT WAS NOT A NATURAL WAY TO BE, THAT SHE HAD A CHOICE IN HOW TO LIVE AND BE A SURVIVOR. HER GRANDFATHER WAS AN AMAZING MAN AND BEE KEEPER WHO TRULY HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON HER LIFE. AS THE STORY UNFOLDS YOU REALIZE HOW THEIR RELATIONSHIP SHAPED HER FUTURE AND HOW FORTUNATE SHE WAS TO HAVE HIM AND GRANNY IN HER LIFE. I ENJOYED LEARNING ABOUT BEES AND HAVE A DEEP APPRECIATION FOR THEM AND HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE TO OUR WORLD. THE WRITING STYLE AND PROSE ARE WONDERFUL.

The story is told in the first person by the author and starts when she is about 5 years with her mom and dad separating and her mom , brother and herself moving to California to stay with Grandma and Grandpa house. The mother is so into herself that she basically gives up on the kids and it becomes Grandma and Grandpas responsibility. Meredith develops an interest of the comings and goings of Grandpa who happens to be a beekeeper. As the story progresses this becomes Meredith's escape and the chance for grandpa to teach her many life lessons. If you do not know much about bees you end up getting a lesson along with the author which I though was great. As I went through this story I would get so mad at Meredith's mother and how she could be so disconnected and at times the grand mother too. If you have been a child in a family that has been through a divorce I am sure you will be able to relate to things that take place such at least one parent playing the children against the other or at least try. This was a nice easy read it is one of those you want to sit down and spend a day to finished and I recommend that you do. I as a grown man even had a tear in my I but this book is something special.

This memoir is a lovely story about the traumatic childhood of a young girl who is loved and nurtured by her step grandfather. Through him, she learns about bees and beekeeping. She is able to draw life lessons from the bees. The work the author did with her grandfather gave her purpose, peace and an area of security in a life that felt rudderless. This book was hard to read at times due to the relationship between the author and her mother and grandmother. Meredith May can teach us all about resilience.

When families fall apart, the children are often left traumatized in a myriad of ways. One caring person can make all the difference in a child's life. In Meredith's case, it was her grandfather who rescued her and introduced her to the world of bees. There she found healing. Meredith, in turn, introduces us to the amazingly complex society of these buzzing and benevolent creatures . A worthwhile read on multiple levels.

That 2 young children survived such a dysfunctional and ultimately physically abusive mother is amazing and disturbing. Her grandpa, the bees and the honey bus are the wonderful part of the story and as a small scale backyard beekeeper myself her writing of the bees is excellent. Sue Hubbell's Book of Bees comes to mind. Thank you Meredith, I'll be reading this again, at least the bee parts.

Meredith uses these pages to tell us about her childhood and her relationship with bees. With complicated family dynamics, her grandpa and the bees become her confidants and provide her with the refuge she craves from her turbulent relationship with her mum.The more time she spends with the bees, the more she learns of their roles and their family dynamics; and whilst she’s not experiencing it at home, she sees the stability, support and strength that a family should have. Her grandpa uses the bees as a medium, to discuss family issues, allowing Meredith to understand and cope with her mum.After finishing this memoir, it’s fair to say I clearly knew very little about honey bees before I started it!I was absolutely fascinated by how these bees ‘work a hive’; it’s a very sophisticated mini-metropolis with every bee having a role to play in their society, their dedication to everything they do is both enthralling to watch and incredibly humbling. We could learn a lot from bees.This is a beautiful, moving and powerful read that will make any reader reflect on themselves and the relationships surrounding them. It’ll make you feel grateful for the stability you may have overlooked, and remind you to pay attention to those chores/jobs that people around you do, without you even appreciating how it keeps your home/your work/your life moving smoothly.But the most important message is to understand how much we need bees, which is starting to be well heard thanks to the campaigns, however I’ve never before appreciated the severity and the detailed reasons of why the bees are in decline.I adore books like this, there is nothing more satisfying than reading and learning at the same time. My heart grew from reading of Meredith’s childhood, and my brain stored even more compelling facts.

This is an emotionally enthralling read as much as it is educational. I enjoyed the depth and honesty of emotion and how nature (and her grandfather’s love and guidance) were so pivotal to this woman’s ability to overcome and forgive. A wonderful read!

This is a beautiful story of a little girl with many challenges due to family dynamics. It always amazes me how someone so young can overcome these hard times and grow up to be so productive. She faced many trials and tribulations but had the love and guidance of her grandfather who really, saved her and gave her the encouragement to go on. A big plus - I learned so much about bees!

I never usually write reviews so this hopefully will support how much I enjoyed this read.My dad woke up in the middle of the night to hear an interview on the World Service with the author - hearing this interview he knew it would be a book I'd really relate to and bought it as a gift.I'm a beekeeper myself, who had an unconventional upbringing and not always the easiest starts in life. There was a lot in this book I could really relate to as the bees really did save her life and teach her about love. Its beautifully written and for anyone reading they'll learn some valueable lessons about the amazing life of bees. Her Grandad is identically described as my own! Its a lovely read.