An ambitious debut novel that ostensibly falls into the nascent category of ‘cli-fi’ fiction, namely works which highlight the importance of the climate/environmentalism and what may occur if such matters are not addressed. Even without a scientific background, the answer to the above question is almost always ‘bad’. Lunde’s three interlinked stories occur in Victorian Britain, contemporary America and future (2098) China. Bees lie at the centre of each, but Lunde goes far beyond this. It was obvious to my mind that the reason for the disappearance of Tao’s son in the China section was owing to a bee sting — good news in the sense that they have returned after the fictionalised ‘collapse’ described by the author (not so inconceivable once you start reading about Colony Collapse Disorder). With this knowledge, and the fact that an ‘organic’ hive solution for bees makes most sense, the reader is then freer to focus on perhaps what is Lunde’s bigger concern: relationships between parents and their children; their hopes, fears and expectations. Put another way, you are forced to consider how hard to fight for the things that matter for you, and also where you may make sacrifices, more often for the greater good. Some of the treatment (particularly in the latter sections) is a little heavy-handed but overall, 8.5/10.
By Maja Lunde