The Death of Bees (P.S.) - Softcover

O'Donnell, Lisa

Softcover

ISBN 10: 006220985X ISBN 13: 9780062209856

Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2013

Synopsis

Pub Date: 2013-10-22 Pages: 336 Language: English Publisher: HarperCollins Today I buried my parents in the backyard.Neither of them were beloved.Marnie and her little sister. Nelly. are on their own now Only they know what. happened to their parents. Izzy and Gene. and they aren t telling. While life in Glasgow s Maryhill housing estate isn t grand. the girls do have each other.As the New Year comes and goes. Lennie. the old man next door. realizes that his young neighbors are alone and need his help. Lennie takes them in-feeds them. clothes them. protects them-and something like a family forms. But soon. the sisters friends. their teachers. and the authorities start asking tougher questions . As one lie leads to another. dark secrets about the girls family surface. creating complications that threaten to tear them apart.Written with ferce sympathy and beautiful precision. ...

About this title

Product Description:

A riveting, brilliantly written debut novel, The Death of Bees is a coming-of-age story in which two young sisters attempt to hold the world at bay after the mysterious death of their parents.

Marnie and Nelly, left on their own in Glasgow's Hazlehurst housing estate, attempt to avoid suspicion until Marnie can become a legal guardian for her younger sister.

Written with fierce sympathy and beautiful precision, and told in alternating voices, The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell is an enchanting, grimly comic tale of lost souls who, unable to answer for themselves, can answer only for each other.

Review:

"In this first novel she pulls off the unusual pairing of grisly and touching."--New York Times

"O'Donnell walks a fine line, describing appalling events without ever allowing the novel to lose its warm heart....The Death of Bees is that rare thing: a family-values black comedy."--Christian Science Monitor

"Wild, witty and as funny as it is unsettling. The Death of Bees is really about the strength of sisters, the sparkle of imagination and how even the most motley of half lives can somehow coalesce into a shining whole."--Houston Chronicle

"O'Donnell's finely drawn characters display the full palette of human flaws and potential. Told in the alternating voices of Marnie, Nelly, and Lennie, this beautifully written page-turner will have readers fretting about what will become of the girls."--Booklist (starred review)

"In more ways than the first line, The Death of Bees reminds me of Donoghue's Room. Maybe it's because both authors originated from the United Kingdom. Maybe it's because both stories carry a darkness brightened only by the innocence of the main characters.--Spencer Daily Reporter

"The quirky characters and thrilling plotlines will leave readers anxious to find out what will become of the girls. This poignant, compelling, and hopeful tale teaches readers that a desperate situation can always be alleviated by reaching out to others."--The Hub

"As a gothic novel and a psychological look at the effects of trauma, it had verve and nerve...O'Donnell knows how to keep a reader engaged, and her sympathy -- and hope -- for her characters tempers what could have been a sordid tale."--Columbus Dispatch

"Quirky characters with distinct voices enliven this sometimes grim and often funny coming-of-age story in the vein of Karen Russell's best seller Swamplandia! O'Donnell's debut is sure to be a winner."--Library Journal

"An unusual coming-of-age novel that features two sisters who survive years of abuse and neglect....The author's experience as a screenwriter is most definitely apparent, as the reader always hears the voices and can visualize the dramatic, sometimes appallingly grim scenes. Recommended."--Kirkus Reviews

"As the action reaches a feverish climax...dark comedy is replaced by nerve-shredding tension...the reader is thoroughly caught up in the emotional trials and tribulations of two unlikely heroines....Warm without being cozy, explicit without being shocking, and emotive without being schmaltzy...a powerful coming-of-age tale..."--Scotsman

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 006220985X
• ISBN 13: 9780062209856
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336