The Music of Bees

The Music of Bees is a novel by American writer Eileen Garvin. It was published by Dutton in 2021 and is Garvin’s first novel. Set in Hood River, Oregon, in 2014, the story follows the lives of three people: Alice, a widowed beekeeper who has panic attacks; Jake, an 18-year-old who has depression stemming from an accident that left him paralyzed; and Harry, a young man who experiences social anxiety. Their lives intersect when Jake and Harry start to work at Alice’s farm looking after the bees and taking care of general maintenance. All three characters experience improvement in their mental health, and they join together to rally the community against a company that is spraying dangerous pesticides in the county. The novel thus deals with mental health issues as well as environmental activism and conveys much information about bees and beekeeping as the three protagonists overcome challenges, resolve problems, and work toward a brighter future. As a resident of Hood River and a beekeeper herself, Garvin draws heavily from her own experience for this novel.

This study guide refers to the 2022 paperback edition.

Content Warning: The novel and this guide reference mental health conditions and suicidal ideation.

Plot Summary