The Bees by Laline Paull may be one of the most unusual books I’ve ever read.
It’s told completely from the perspective of a sanitation bee, Flora 717. She narrates her life from her emergence to her death. During this time she experiences multiple levels: working in the nursery, meeting their Queen, being a forager and an egg layer.
Her story explains how their community works- bee dance, different stations/kin, enemies, hive mind, drones, allegiance to their queen and more.
Flora is unlike other bees of her kin because she speaks and is thoughtful and brave. She stands up against enemies such as wasps and spiders and also survives a night outside the hive and a winter flight.
It was an odd story but it kept my attention throughout for its uniqueness and my interest in bees.
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