Fateful Choices

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray is a slow, steady tragedy.

Each character is developed in his/her own chapters. Eventually their chapters intertwine. Spoilers ahead…

Imelda is a wife and mother. But before this she was the only daughter to a brute/criminal father. She eventually found love with local sport star Frank Barnes. When his life tragically ends, she ends up married to his brother, Dickie.

Dickie’s chapters were rough. Always in his brother’s shadow at home, he finally begins finding himself while away at college. This drastically changes after his brother’s death. Later in his marriage, he loses himself again. He begins doomsday preparations starting with the bunker on his own property with the town outcast.

Cass is their surly teenaged daughter. Her life revolves around maintaining friendship with beautiful Elaine.

Finally, my favorite character, is twelve- year-old brother PJ. He is bright and a bit eccentric. He struggles with friends and is mostly overlooked in his family.

The bunker in the woods becomes a pivotal setting in the story. Events lead to a fateful evening here when all their paths will cross.

It is a well-written story touching on ideas of fate, love/loss and human frailty.