Product Description

"The real masterwork that Sue Hubbell has created is her life," David Quammen wrote in the New York Times. This book is, like its author, a unique achievement. Weaving a vivid portrait of her own life and her bees' lives through the seasons, Hubbell writes "about bees to be sure, but also about other things: the important difference between loneliness and solitude . . . the accommodating of oneself to nature" (Philadelphia Inquirer).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #239003 in Books
• Published on: 1998-04-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In her widely acclaimed A Country Year , Hubbell wrote about living on her 100-acre honey-producing farm in the Ozarks. Here she introduces us to the tasks and pleasures of beekeeping. Hubbell manages 300 hives, some on her own farm, others scattered about the countryside on land she rents for one gallon of honey a year. Beekeeping, we're shown, is a marvelous example of symbiosis, advantageous to humans, bees and crops. Noting that the end of one honey season is the start of the next, Hubbell begins with autumn when she checks the hives and prepares them for winter. She takes us, step by step, through the construction of a hive, explaining terms used by beekeepers. Spring brings re-queening if needed, and late summer, the harvest. Hubbell describes the collection and extraction of honeyhot, hard workto complete the season. Beekeeping has to be the apex of animal husbandry; it is a wondrous subject, and Hubbell does it justice. Portions of the book have appeared in the New Yorker . Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"about bees to be sure, but also about other things: the important differences between loneliness and solitude. . . the accommodating of oneself to nature" -- Review

Review
"a melodious mix of memoir, nature journal, and beekeeping manual" (Kirkus Reviews )

"The real masterwork that Sue Hubbell has created is her life." (The New York Times )

"about bees to be sure, but also about other things: the important differences between loneliness and solitude. . . the accommodating of oneself to nature" (The Philadelphia Inquirer )

Customer Reviews

informative story about a beekeeper's year
This is not strictly a how-to about beekeeping. There are other fine books that will provide that if you need it (Backyard Beekeeper comes to mind). However, I found Sue Hubbell's book to be a great companion to the how-to. It reads much more like a story recounting a year in the life of a commercial beekeeper.

Not only did I find great advice from someone who has worked with bees for many years and understands their nature as well as any human could. But I also enjoyed learning about Sue's humble and deeply rewarding life as a beekeeper and student of bees.

I was able to pick up some valuable tips and hints to use with my own bees. I also gained a deeper appreciation for the beekeeping profession whether you are a part-timer or a pro. And lastly, what a complex and wonderful creation is the honeybee. And what a privilege to work with them.

Sub-Par Book
The author makes to great of attempt to write a novel instead of trying to teach beekeeping. If you already know beekeeping and are bored, you might like this book. On the other hand, if you are a beginner, this book is not for you despite the claims made by the book and its author. I would recomend Beekeeping: A Practical Guide by Richard Bonney or The New Starting Right With Bees. Frankly, these are more clear, have more pictures to help describe what they are talking about, and are an easier reference. When I read books I quite often forget stuff, so I like to be able to go back and reread certain parts on the topic. Since Sue Hubell makes too great of effort to make her book into a novel, trying to review a subject is nearly impossible.

A narrative how to
At first I wasn't sure about this book since it seemed to be more of a biography/memoir rather than the sort of how-to book on beekeeping I was searching for. As it turns out the book is both a narrative and a manual on beekeeping, and once I began reading I was pleasantly surprised by the seamless fusion of the two. It's a good easy read for anyone, even if you're not particularly interested in bees - a very well written story about agricultural life (and life in general) in the Ozarks. It's also a good primer on what one might expect to encounter in keeping bees as you follow the author's accounts through the seasons.