Entering her thirties, Helen Jukes feels trapped in an urban grind of
office politics and temporary addresses - disconnected, stressed.
Struggling to settle into her latest job and home in Oxford, she
realises she needs to effect a change if she's to create a meaningful
life for herself, one that can accommodate comfort and labour and love.
Then friends give her the gift of a colony of honeybees - according to
folklore, bees freely given bring luck - and Helen embarks on her first
full year of beekeeping.
But what does it mean to `keep' wild
creatures? In learning about the bees, what can she learn of herself?
And can travelling inside the hive free her outside it? As Helen
grapples with her role in the delicate, awe-inspiring ecosystem of the
hive, the very act of keeping seems to open up new perspectives, deepen
friendships old and new, and make her world come alive. A Honeybee Heart
Has Five Openings is at once a fascinating exploration of the honeybee
and the hive, the practices of honey-gathering and the history of our
observation of bees; and a beautifully wrought meditation on
responsibility and care, on vulnerability and trust, on forging bonds
and breaking new ground. 'This is classic modern nature-writing; a
synthesis of scientific learning, observation and the author's response.
If you care for the wellbeing of bees and the planet and for the state
of the human heart, then this book, with its deft and beautiful prose,
is for you... And like all good nature writing, it also - quietly,
clearly and insistently - requires us, too, to respond' Countryfile
Magazine `An intimate exploration of the heart and home, and a
tantalising glimpse into an alien culture. A brave and delicate book,
rich and fascinating' Nick Hunt, author of Where the Wild Winds Are
`Subtly wrought personal journey into the art and science of beekeeping.
A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings - Helen Jukes
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£8.99