Elizabeth Bass Parman's charming second novel, Bees in June, follows a 20-something woman struggling to find a path forward--with a little help from her uncle's mysterious bees.
In the summer of 1969, Rennie King Hendricks is reeling from the death of her infant son and trying to manage her husband's explosive temper. Working at the local diner, Rennie rediscovers her passion for baking and starts to dream of new possibilities. But her uncle Dixon's failing health worries her, as does the presence of his handsome new neighbor, Ambrose. When Dixon's bees start sending Rennie messages, she wonders if she's losing her sanity--or if the bees (and Dixon) can help her imagine a different life.
Parman (The Empress of Cooke County) infuses her gentle narrative with Southern charm, mouthwatering descriptions of Rennie's desserts, and fabulism in the form of Dixon's bees, which glow softly as they guide Rennie and narrate brief interludes of their own throughout the book. The small town of Spark, Tenn., is filled with women who embody quiet strength, including Rennie's boss, Arden, and her cousin and best friend, May Dean. Rennie's aunt Eugenia, now deceased, also provides a model for staying true to oneself in the face of public gossip. As the town buzzes over the impending moon landing, Rennie begins to take her own small steps forward. Brimming with summer flowers, honey cake, and sweet tea, Parman's novel is a winsome portrait of a woman finding the bravery to build the life she wants. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams