🐝🌺 “He Should Have Told the Bees” (2023) 🌺🐝 – Book Review

 

MY REVIEW 

 

 

Paperback: 336 Pages

Publisher: Revell Books (August 29, 2023)

Language: English

ISBN 10: 0800742737

ISBN-13: 978-0800742737

⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information 

 

“Uncovering long-held family secrets may sting at first--but the result can be sweeter than honey
 
 Beekeeper Beckett Walsh is living her dream, working alongside her father in their apiary, until his untimely death sends her world into a tailspin. She suddenly finds she must deal with a new part owner of the family business--one who is looking to sell the property. Beck cannot fathom why her father would put her into the position to lose everything they built together.
 
 When Callie Peterson is named in the trust of a man she's never heard of, she's not sure what to do. Her fledgling business has just taken wing and her mother has reentered her life asking for help getting into rehab for her lifelong substance abuse issues, making Callie's financial situation rather . . . precarious. She's sure she has no right to someone else's farm, but the money from the sale could solve her problems and give her the stability she's always craved.
 
 As these two women navigate their present conundrum, they will discover a complex and entangled past full of secrets--and the potential for a brighter future for both of them.” 

 

Thank you in advance to the publisher, Revell Books (a division of Baker Books) for providing a complimentary review copy through the author’s launch team. A positive review was not required, and all words are my own.

 

I have followed Amanda Cox since her debut book – The Edge of Belonging (2020). Thanks again to Revell and their Revell Reads blogger program for that gem.  

 

The Edge of Belonging was a dual time story, and I was completely overwhelmed by it – even three (3) years after its release. I read it inside of a nine (9) hour period, which for a book of that length, is a bit difficult. 

 

Naturally, when her sophomore release came out – I wanted it. If her first book was good, the second had to be as well. Like her first book, The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery was also a dual-time novel. While I didn’t get the same impact like from The Edge of Belonging, her second book was emotional and poignant it its own way. 

 

Enjoying the previous two books (both standalones), naturally … I wanted to read He Should’ve Told the Bees. The title grabbed me on curiosity alone. Why would anyone need to tell bees anything? What does one need to tell bees anyway? How does someone communicate with bees? And, the story about Callie and Beckett seemed interesting as well. Why was Callie named in trust, who was she? 

 

Unlike the first two books, this is a singular timeline. This is also a standalone read. 

 

Cox introduces readers to:

 

🧴 Callie Peterson

🐝 Beckett “Beck” Walsh

👾 Katya/Fern (Isaac’s niece, staying with him on the Bailey’s farm)

💻 Isaac (Fern’s uncle, becomes close to Beck)

🔨 Luke (friend of Callie, interested in her)

🚗 Aunt Kate (George’s sister)

🥃 Lindy (Callie and Beck’s mother)

🍲 Annette (woman who loved George, knew about his issues with Lindy)

 

The story is told solely from Beck and Callie’s POVs. 

 

There will be some disturbing topics in this book. These do serve as an essential part of the plot and character development. This is a bit edgier than Cox’s previous two books. Both of the main characters are affected by parental abandonment (though differently) and share an alcoholic parent. There is mention of a DUI, and there is a reveal about a pregnancy resulting from sexual assault. One character suffers from agoraphobia, another is bipolar. 

 

These themes might be disturbing to some readers despite this being Christian fiction. Cox writes the topics with sensitivity and not sensationalism.

 

Cox starts readers off with a young Callie in the car with her mom, going somewhere – Walsh Farm. Though the prologue ends before readers figure out why/

 

22 years later, Beckett “Beck” Walsh is mourning the loss of her father, the only parent she knew – and, the only “safety” in her world. Having had severe panic attacks since she was a child – bad enough she had to be homeschooled – and unable to venture from the farm, her father handled everything. Now, alone, it falls to her. 

 

She is covering the bees – the ones she and her father tended for over 23 years when she meets Katya Amadeus Cimmaron of the Vesper Galaxy. Katya claims to be a shapeshifter that is 200 Earth years old. The girl is seemingly interesting in the bees and world of beekeeping, especially the part about telling them the beekeeper died. She then disappears. 

 

Turns out the alien’s name is Fern. She and her Uncle Isaac are staying at the neighboring Bailey Farms for the summer since her parents need time to work through some issues. 

 

Beck’s aunt Kate is there to help her with things and the funeral. Kate is also worried about how Beck will handle things going forward considering she has an issue about leaving the farm (agoraphobia). Still, her niece convinces her to leave. 

 

Callie is about to realize her dream of permanence, starting with having her own little shop for her products – soaps, lotions, candles, skin care, also known as Solace Naturals. Unfortunately, her little building isn’t up to code and she needs to get it up before opening. That is going to cost her more money she really doesn’t have.  

 

If that isn’t bad enough – her wayward mother, Lindy, shows up. Her mother FINALLY wants to get help, and is ready to. After Callie drops her mother off, she learns that her mother has listed her as a responsible financial party because Lindy’s insurance lapsed. Callie is forced to choose between her shop and her mother’s treatment. 

 

At the farm, Beck is shocked an appraiser is looking at the farm. Callie is just as shocked to receive mail from a trust for a meeting. A trust for a man she never knew or heard of. 

 

As it turns out, George Walsh put both Beck and Callie in as co-tenants of the farm with no explanation, and without anyone knowing it.

 

Beck panics, thinking she’s going to lose her home. It is Isaac who helps her through it, his friendship providing some stability. Callie sees this as a financial reprieve – she can cover her mom’s rehab stay (mental and physical) – without giving up Solace Naturals. Though, that means Beck loses her home. Callie is torn in what to do.

 

Beck wants to show Callie what the farm can do to convince her to keep it. Before deciding anything, Callie wants answers about her past, namely why George – a man she didn’t know – put her on the trust. She wonders if he is her father and has done it as a way to set something right. 

 

Through Kate, as well as Annette – a woman who’d tried to help George love again – Callie and Beck learn the devastating truth. They share a mother – Lindy Peterson. It is because of Lindy that Beck has suffered the panic attacks. She’s angry that Callie wants her to sell her home to help a mother that abandoned her. Callie is angry that Beck lived a life with their mom where she didn’t exist – almost as if she were erased from it. 

 

Callie has always wanted the stability Beck had; and Beck only longed for her mother, something Callie had. Callie wonders why her mother couldn’t have made it work at the farm with her included. And, once Callie knows about Beck’s problems, she now has to think of her younger sister’s well-being in addition to their mother – always putting others ahead of herself. 

 

It is through some returned letters from George to Lindy that the two women learn about George’s love for the woman he couldn’t rescue. 

 

During Lindy’s treatment, Callie learns a devastating secret that explains her mother’s behavior and Callie’s own conception. 

 

Both Callie and Beck must do what bees do – adapt to what is going on around them if they are both going to heal from the lifelong trauma they’ve carried and find what they need.

 

Emotional, dramatic, poignant, and at times tear-jerking; this is a deeply rich novel that stays with a reader long after they finish it and put it away; even if they only remember the “house chicken”. 

 

Just like Cox’s other two novels, I was drawn right into this one. While I didn’t finish it inside of nine (9) hours – namely due to other things going on – it held my interest when I could read it and I couldn’t put it down. I read half (½) of it in one sitting. The shorter chapters really kept me tuning the pages. It also helped that the story didn’t stagnant in any one place. 

 

One of those “other things” going on in my life, has been me being a single caregiver to my mother who has her share of physical and mental health issues. On that note, I identified with Callie. 

 

While I haven’t been public about my younger years, reading Callie’s part, I was reminded of my “nomadic” early life (ages 4-9). Due to an incident, I am not comfortable talking about (even after all these years); I can say that like Callie, I often worried about losing my mother, or being taken away from her. 

 

Callie’s thought in the beginning of the book that really caught my attention was about wanting to crawl inside her mom’s mind and see what lived there. Such an interesting way of putting it. I can relate to that, and I think most of us can, especially with those closest to us who are often troubled. 

 

I absolutely enjoyed learning about honeybees and their lives. On an interesting note – back in August I had a “sore” that required surgery, and as part of the wound care process, I was given Medline Therahoney Gel Medical Grade Manuka Honey. Before my illness that caused the sore, I’d never heard of medical grade honey used for anything, let alone wound care (that was an absolute shock). It is the bees – much like Beck’s bees – that are responsible for that miracle in medicine, among other things we take for granted. 

Beck’s relationship with mentoring Fern was sweet, and definitely on the lighter side of the story. She and Fern were good for each other, and balanced out well. And, the inclusion of Isaac gave me hope for Beck’s future. 

 

However, Beck’s antagonistic attitude towards Callie was almost off-putting; even going so far as to throw Callie’s products, which her dad had bought, in the trash. I understood where Beck was coming from, but it seemed juvenile. I also understood where Callie was coming from with helping her mother “again”. One wants to hope, if given enough time (and chances), a loved one will “heal” and be who we need them to be, or who they should be.

 

Despite the seriousness of the book given the issues, there are some light-hearted moments provided by Fern. And, while not a romance story per se, there are budding romance moments between Luke/Callie and Isaac/Beck. I would be interested in a sequel to this just to see where the characters have landed 1-3 years after this story ended. I would like to hope both couples got together.

 

This stirring novel forces us to wonder if we know anyone – even those closest to us. It also begs the question of where one person’s needs/wants override another’s – Callie’s business vs. her mother’s recovery; Lindy’s recovery vs. Beck losing her home. Knowing his daughter’s “issues”, I do think George should’ve warned Beck about Callie. 

 

Another lesson was that just because we lose something, doesn’t mean it is a bad thing – it could lead to better things. There definitely was a LOT to unpack with this book.

 

Since this is Christian fiction, there will be OBVIOUS themes of faith in it. To me it didn’t come off as preachy in anyway. I certainly didn’t feel as though I was being “forced” to practice anything or believe a certain way just to enjoy the story. I have seen novels where there are far stronger themes.

 

One reviewer took issue with this being a Christian book (ie: messages of prayer, dependance on miracles). Given that the publisher is a primarily Christian based publisher, and the author herself has a degree in Bible and theology (obviously a Christian herself), one should always assume there will be tenets of faith in the book. It isn’t as though this was information was hidden, or couldn’t be found out prior to reading the book. 

 

There are millions of books and stories out there that cater to the non-Christian group, so Christians should be able to look for stories that cater to them and their faith. There is nothing wrong with having faith, there is nothing wrong with not having it. Bashing someone’s beliefs is NOT okay – for example, referring to God as “skyman”. It is not helpful in a review, nor is it honestly respectful to the author. A person only needs to state it caters to the Christian community and leave it at that. 

 

And, this inspiring novel is ready for the world as it is; especially with its messages.  

 

Through Callie, Cox demonstrates that faith can help us combined with other tools – such as rehab and therapy; along with time, reflection, patience, and love.

 

That said …

 

No one will enjoy every book out there – I know I don’t. That’s okay. I still respect the authors for their efforts. 

 

Fans of the author are sure to enjoy this, and those who enjoy Christian fiction likely will as well. Those who don’t particularly enjoy anything relating to faith or the Christianity are likely not going to enjoy it. 

 

I am eager to see what Cox has planned for her next novel. 

 

 

 

RATING:  

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads  

  

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub  

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html; update: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2022/07/what-goes-into-my-reviews-2022-edition.html) 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

 

Amanda Cox is the author of The Edge of Belonging and The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery, both of which were Christy Award Books of the Year in 2021 and 2022 respectively. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with her husband and their three children. Learn more at http://AmandaCoxWrites.com.

You can follow her on the following social media accounts:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandacoxwrites/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/amandacoxwrites

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amandacoxwrites

Website: https://twitter.com/amandacoxwrites

  

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