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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
I just finished reading The Beekeeper’s Daughter by Santa Montefiore. The book starts out in 1973 on Tekanasset Island, Massachusetts. Trixie (Beatrix) Valentine is 19 years old and is eagerly sowing her wild oats! Trixie is headstrong and rebellious. She is in love with Jasper Duncliffe. Jasper is British and the second son (which means he does not inherit the estate or title unless something happens to his brother). He is also an up and coming rock musician and singer. Trixie is always sneaking off to spend time with him. Jasper is going to go on tour in the fall and Trixie wants to go with him (instead of going to college). Everything is rosy until Jasper receives word that his older brother died in an accident. Jasper has to return home to Walbridge. Trixie wants to go with him, but Jasper asks her to wait and he will send for her. They exchange letters (remember it is 1973 and people still communicate via snail mail) frequently at first and then slowly Jasper’s letters slow down to a small trickle. Then the last letter arrives breaking things off between them. Trixie is crushed. She leaves the island for New York and a career in fashion journalism.
Grace Hamblin Valentine is Trixie’s mother. Grace and her husband, Freddie are originally from Walbridge (in England). They moved to the island after World War II. Grace remembers her time in Walbridge with her father and Rufus Melville. Grace goes back to 1932 and remembers when she met Rufus. The book goes back and forth between 1973 and the 1930’s. We learn about Grace’s father, growing up learning about bees and gardening, a love of literature and falling in love.
Trixie’s parents never talk about their past or where they grew up. In 1990 Trixie decides to find out more about them and visits Walbridge. What Trixie uncovers not only helps her but her parents.
I give The Beekeeper’s Daughter 3 out of 5 stars. I found the book to be long. Longer than it needed to be. With some editing, I think this could be a much better book. I started enjoying The Beekeeper’s Daughter more in the second half of the book (it is just getting to that part that is hard).
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Grace Hamblin Valentine is Trixie’s mother. Grace and her husband, Freddie are originally from Walbridge (in England). They moved to the island after World War II. Grace remembers her time in Walbridge with her father and Rufus Melville. Grace goes back to 1932 and remembers when she met Rufus. The book goes back and forth between 1973 and the 1930’s. We learn about Grace’s father, growing up learning about bees and gardening, a love of literature and falling in love.
Trixie’s parents never talk about their past or where they grew up. In 1990 Trixie decides to find out more about them and visits Walbridge. What Trixie uncovers not only helps her but her parents.
I give The Beekeeper’s Daughter 3 out of 5 stars. I found the book to be long. Longer than it needed to be. With some editing, I think this could be a much better book. I started enjoying The Beekeeper’s Daughter more in the second half of the book (it is just getting to that part that is hard).
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
msmagoo502's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ashleysilver7's review against another edition
4.0
This was, put simply, a book about love, but so much more. It is set in both rural England (Dorset) and a Nantucket-like island in the U.S. The author states that she likes to invent the locations in her novels, and she did so here. The setting plays an important part in this novel, and I find it very charming. It is a different kind of love story that spans several generations, and a mother and daughter share a lot more in common than they would probably like. But don't worry, they do not share the same man! At any rate, The Beekeeper's is an easy read and a delightful story about love, heartache, and forgiveness. I highly recommend it.
sharesb's review against another edition
4.0
I like bees so honestly, I chose to read this book based on the title. lol...I never used to be a romance novel reading kind of gal BUT I do find myself lured into and being immersed into historical romances. It wasn't the 1800s but 1933 still seems like a lifetime ago when the novel takes place and bounces forward to a more present time of 1973 and beyond.
Once I got past the "as if" coincidence and reminded myself this is a book (lol) I found the story to be attention holding. However, while I enjoyed the descriptive settings, the educational components about the bees, I didn't quite feel the passion in the romances in the book until the very end.
The story centres around Grace (the mom) and Trixie (the daughter) and the men they loved but couldn't have. They continue on with life but still hold this torch for the men they couldn't have. Honestly, I was a little annoyed by this. Move on ladies!
The ending is what I liked the best. I really felt the emotion in the book between Grace, Freddie and Trixie in the last few chapters. It made me feel SO sad and kind of mad at Grace too.
Well written. Good easy laid back read.
Once I got past the "as if" coincidence and reminded myself this is a book (lol) I found the story to be attention holding. However, while I enjoyed the descriptive settings, the educational components about the bees, I didn't quite feel the passion in the romances in the book until the very end.
The story centres around Grace (the mom) and Trixie (the daughter) and the men they loved but couldn't have. They continue on with life but still hold this torch for the men they couldn't have. Honestly, I was a little annoyed by this. Move on ladies!
The ending is what I liked the best. I really felt the emotion in the book between Grace, Freddie and Trixie in the last few chapters. It made me feel SO sad and kind of mad at Grace too.
Well written. Good easy laid back read.
jbarr5's review against another edition
4.0
The beekeeper's daughter by Santa Montefiore
Always interesting to learn the career/trade of others that use their hands.
Starts out with Grace and her friend Big talking about how her daughter left to go to Cape Cod to spend the weekend with her friend. They fear it was a boy.
Big told her to forbid her daughter from leaving Tagganasett Island for the rest of the summer she knows she must do it.
Problem is Grace is a beekeeper and her past is catching up to her. Trixie is in love with Jasper, the guitar player who's from overseas.
Beatrix (Trixie) wants to go into the fashion industry but at 19 she just waits tables on the island. Her dad, Freddie comes home and has already heard of Trixie behaving like a slut. He works in the cranberry bogs.
Story goes back in time to 1930's when Grace was a teen...
Interesting discussion of the cure of arthritis and garlic will cure a bee sting.
Really enjoyed how their lives are lived and the story is told. So many more interesting names for books the author wrote that I hope to read some day.
Really liked this book because it took me to new places and described them so well and I learned new things.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Always interesting to learn the career/trade of others that use their hands.
Starts out with Grace and her friend Big talking about how her daughter left to go to Cape Cod to spend the weekend with her friend. They fear it was a boy.
Big told her to forbid her daughter from leaving Tagganasett Island for the rest of the summer she knows she must do it.
Problem is Grace is a beekeeper and her past is catching up to her. Trixie is in love with Jasper, the guitar player who's from overseas.
Beatrix (Trixie) wants to go into the fashion industry but at 19 she just waits tables on the island. Her dad, Freddie comes home and has already heard of Trixie behaving like a slut. He works in the cranberry bogs.
Story goes back in time to 1930's when Grace was a teen...
Interesting discussion of the cure of arthritis and garlic will cure a bee sting.
Really enjoyed how their lives are lived and the story is told. So many more interesting names for books the author wrote that I hope to read some day.
Really liked this book because it took me to new places and described them so well and I learned new things.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
picturesarah's review against another edition
1.0
I picked this up in the library because the summary sounded interesting and the blurb on the back promised a "multigenerational banquet of love." This was like...a multigenerational banquet of love at a Denny's. Consistent, designed to have broad appeal, but very low-quality. The sappiness and cheese were over the top, the dialogue was absurd. It was bad.
ljacobus's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75