"The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it." (James Bryce)

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

QUEEN BEE (Dorothea Benton Frank)

Dorothea Benton Frank's latest novel is a perfect, hilarious escape for a summer weekend.  I wasn't sure at first because Holly McNee, the main character, seemed a bit Cinderella-like and immature and her mother, the title character, kept bringing Howard Wolowicz's mother to mind!  Holly is a beekeeper who talks to her bees.  She is nearly a slave to her critical mother and has an unrequited crush on the widower next door.  She is, though, kind and creative and full of love just ready to brim over for the right person.  In the meantime, she lavishes time and attention on Tyler and Hunter, the adorable young sons of Archie, the college professor next door.

When Holly's very dramatic older sister (and Mom's favorite), Leslie, leaves her husband and moves back home from Ohio to North Carolina, the Queen Bee blossoms and life takes on a sudden new excitement for Holly.  As her relationship with handsome Archie tanks and Leslie reveals the truth about her husband, Charlie, the family pulls together and embarks on what can only be described as a roller coaster ride of new energy, new experiences, and new hope for the future.  I think what I loved most about this book, once I got past the somewhat depressing beginning, was the teamwork and mutual support that developed among the McNee women and their loved ones.  Forgiveness, acceptance, and self-awareness are themes that run throughout the novel.  I would highly recommend it, but not if you are looking for a quiet, unassuming little novel.  You won't find that here!

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