The Keeper of the Bees

By: Gene Stratton-Porter

Narrated by: Anne Hancock

Gene Stratton-Porter (A Girl of the Limberlost and Laddie) was a writer whose primary interest was the natural world. In The Keeper of the Bees, her last novel, she brought to vivid life the coastline, flora, and fauna of her adopted California.

Jamie MacFarlane has returned a hero from the Great War but with a stubborn chest wound. The government has sent him to their new thermal springs hospital in California "where it was hoped that the brilliant sunshine, the fruits, and the clean air, the eternal summer of a beneficent land" would heal him. But nothing has worked, and with his parents now deceased and no one to care for him, it seems the next step is a camp rife with tuberculosis. Realizing this, Jamie begins his great adventure on foot toward the ocean.

For miles, he encounters both sympathy and villainy, and just as his own strength is at its lowest ebb, he finds salvation when he encounters an elderly gentleman who's in worse shape than he is. Jamie agrees to take on the gentleman's work tending his bees, aided by his assistant, the precocious 10-year-old Little Scout.

The Pacific Ocean air, ripe fruits, and exercise are certainly beneficial, but it's not until Jamie begins to think beyond his own mortality that he truly begins to heal. His natural empathy, his work among the bees, new friendships, and a mysterious young woman may be the keys to a new life and his cure.

About the bees: Ever the naturalist, Stratton-Porter delivers, through Little Scout's child-like tutorial to Jamie, the clearest explanation ever written of the complicated society of these fascinating creatures.

Public Domain (P)2020 Anne Hancock

Wholesome, delightful story!

Thoroughly enjoyed this story, through all the struggles & joys! I want to visit this house & the bee garden!

by far the best story I've ever finished

it has everything. I laughed, I cried, I felt anger, I felt hope. a brilliantly perfect reading. my favorite speed was 1.6. I think I'll make this a yearly read. I found myself crying when it was over because I loved it so much. like a favorite show that came to a close. wonderfully written, beautiful performed.

Old fashion in a nice way

It was very interesting to hear a story written in 1925! It was a nice narration!

The utmost importance of honor

Loved the story line and the honesty and real people. The integrity and great feelings of whom it was written

A gentle story of people and bees play a part

Many stories featuring bees are inaccurate. Not so this one, though the bees are, at best, a supporting character. This story is of decency, being open to outcomes, and not asking too many questions when the answers aren't going to change anything - or shouldn't. Written in the 1920s about a WWI combat veteran after the war, it is a tale worth hearing and learning from.

Context needed

Well....I got through chapter 2 and was ready to return this book, as the writing did not appeal to me. I went back and looked at the reviews (wasn't even sure why I got this book). Most of the comments spurred me to continue listening. I endured it for a few more chapters, then looked again at some info about the book. I thought it was set in the 1920's, but did not realize it was WRITTEN in the 1920's. This gave me a very different perspective on the writing, the language of the characters and the story. By the middle of the book I was pulled into the story and by the end I was glad I stuck with it. I can't say I would readily read another book by this author, as I found the characters a little flat and the world around them overly described, but the storyline was interesting given the time period it was written. ,

Uplifting read

I enjoyed this book and the narrator. It’s a sweet story of life struggles and lessons learned. Enjoy!

I loved this book!

I really liked this book. The writing is almost poetic, it is descriptive and I thought it was a very smooth reading experience.
This book was written back when more people had grit and integrity. There was much that even doctors didn't know but they really knew their patients and had a genuine relationship with them; that seems rare these days.
I love insects, especially bees and while bees had their part in this story, it was Jamie's story and the relationships he found that made up a lot of this story; like, I loved Scout and the gang and the bee master was a kind old sole. This is a feel-good story in spite of the terrible and tragic things that happened, I do wish it was a bit longer though.

Refreshing

A wonderful story and the narrator was
fantastic! Highly recommend this to those of all ages .

Healing

The story was well written and I enjoyed the many aspects of ways to fully heal expressed throughout the text.