The Music of bees is a fiction novel set in a rural Oregon town, written in the third-person narrative. The novel’s three central characters are Alice, Jacob, and Harry, and they all have different misfortunes that bring them together to form a strong bond. Eileen Garvin uses a somber tone and a sanguine mood in her novel, an indication that the worst situation can be turned around to be the best. There is a conflict between Jacob and his abusive father, which drives him to depression and causes him to get involved in a fatal accident that leaves him in a wheelchair. The climax comes when Alice, Jacob, and Harry heal from their unfortunate circumstances and start viewing life from a positive perspective. The main issues explored by Eileen Garvin in the novel The Music of Bees include sorrow, companionship, and healing. Besides exploring different themes, Garvin uses symbolism to make her novel appealing to readers.
The novel opens in a small Oregon town where a forty-year-old Alice drives her pickup to deliver her harvested honey to a local factory. Ina flashback, the reader learns that Alice ventured into farming after losing her job and decided to inherit her late parents’ farm to earn a living. Alice’s life takes a different trajectory when her husband dies, leaving her lonely and depressed. The theme of grief, therefore, becomes apparent. Alice is traumatized by the death of her husband and parents, and she does not know how to move forward. Later, Alice meets Harry, a homeless boy, and Jacob. All these three characters are disheartened because of their dark pasts. Jacob has been living with his abusive father, which left him stressed, leading to his accident. Harry does not have a place to call home. However, these three characters quickly form a strong friendship and start encouraging each other. In a few days, these three characters start healing and view life positively.
Garvin uses bees as her primary symbolism in the novel to represent the power of unity and friendship. Bees work closely and do everything in unity to ensure tasks are achieved timely. Similarly, Alice, Jacob, and Harry coordinate well on the farm to achieve their daily targets. The unity of the bees is reflected in these friends’ support for one another.
The music of bees is a charming novel that is psychologically convincing. The three major characters are amazing, and their unanticipated acquaintance is key in helping them walk past their painful past to a promising future. The novel’s narrative is believable because these friends gradually overcome their struggles to achieve a desirable future.
