Emma Troxler is struggling. She isn't very happy in her job as a security installation salesperson. She's always in conflict with her mother. She has few friends. And her marriage is not what it appears to be. The Beekeeper's Wife follows one woman's journey of learning how to let go of what keeps her stuck, and finding out how to open her heart to life. Exploring the power of loss and love, New York Times bestselling author Lynne Hinton weaves a story of courage, friendship, what we need to feel secure, and what is required to move forward.

The Beekeeper's Wife is inspired by Herbert Scott's poem of the same name. It is an attempt to imagine the life of the woman behind the poem. Shanda Hansma Blue's The Beekeeper's Wife is a brilliant poetic argument between nature and the reader, between the beekeeper's wife and the beekeeper, between where a woman exists in her small and large spaces and the woman. It is a powerful rendition of the woman's world, a world where only we can exist. We are the keeper of the day, rising at dawn, before the sunrises, as if the sun's rise solely depended on us or as if nature itself were in the same complex relationship the woman has with the beekeeper. I have always believed that the poet is a philosopher, and Shanda proves this well in her fresh use of language, where the beekeeper's wife "lives in the five percent zone/ of northern lights visibility./" Again, Hansma Blue shows us that the beekeeper's wife "thinks of this as her numerical data/ her location on the statistical/ halo of Earth's aurora latitudes." In one of her powerful poems, 'Bargain', Shanda tells us, "My grandfather always said of loud girls/ A whistling woman is like a crowing hen/." Indeed, Shanda Hansma Blue is "a crowing hen," where she juxtapositions the world of her speaker, the beekeeper's wife and that of the beekeeper. This is not a book of poetry about nature despite its attention to the many vivid details of the nature around the speaker; it is a story about womanhood alongside that of manhood. Here nature and woman collide, co-exist, argue, and survive, all in a relationship to the man in the story. Here, "the here and the now" come together or collide at times, and yet the constancy of nature keeps the beekeeper's wife grounded even though it is she who keeps the world of both her and the beekeeper grounded. Shanda Hansma Blue's debut book of poetry brings to us a captivating story that is relevant in our new world where nature and humankind are at war. This metaphoric telling of the story of the beekeeper's wife who keeps the beekeeper who keeps the bees will make you wonder and laugh at the same time. Hansma Blue's picturesque use of language will haunt you long after reading this book. -Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, author of Where the Road Turns-...

This unforgettable novel puts human faces on the Syrian war with the immigrant story of a beekeeper, his wife, and the triumph of spirit when the world becomes unrecognizable. “A beautifully crafted novel of international significance that has the capacity to have us open our eyes and see.”—Heather Morris, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz WINNER OF THE ASPEN WORDS LITERARY PRIZE • FINALIST FOR THE DAYTON LITERARY PEACE PRIZE • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY REAL SIMPLE Nuri is a beekeeper and Afra, his wife, is an artist. Mornings, Nuri rises early to hear the call to prayer before driving to his hives in the countryside. On weekends, Afra sells her colorful landscape paintings at the open-air market. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the hills of the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo—until the unthinkable happens. When all they love is destroyed by war, Nuri knows they have no choice except to leave their home. But escaping Syria will be no easy task: Afra has lost her sight, leaving Nuri to navigate her grief as well as a perilous journey through Turkey and Greece toward an uncertain future in Britain. Nuri is sustained only by the knowledge that waiting for them is his cousin Mustafa, who has started an apiary in Yorkshire and is teaching fellow refugees beekeeping. As Nuri and Afra travel through a broken world, they must confront not only the pain of their own unspeakable loss but dangers that would overwhelm even the bravest souls. Above all, they must make the difficult journey back to each other, a path once so familiar yet rendered foreign by the heartache of displacement. Moving, intimate, and beautifully written, The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a book for our times: a novel that at once reminds us that the most peaceful and ordinary lives can be utterly upended in unimaginable ways and brings a journey in faraway lands close to home, never to be forgotten. Praise for The Beekeeper of Aleppo “This book dips below the deafening headlines, and tells a true story with subtlety and power.”—Esther Freud, author of Mr. Mac and Me “This compelling tale had me gripped with its compassion, its sensual style, and its onward and lively urge for resolution.”—Daljit Nagra, author of British Museum “This novel speaks to so much that is happening in the world today. It’s intelligent, thoughtful, and relevant, but very importantly it is accessible. I’m recommending this book to everyone I care about.”—Benjamin Zephaniah, author of Refugee Boy

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs returns to sun-drenched Bella Vista, where the land's bounty yields a rich harvest…and family secrets that have long been buried Isabel Johansen, a celebrated chef who grew up in the enchanting Sonoma town of Archangel, is transforming her childhood home into a destination cooking school—a unique place for other dreamers to come and learn the culinary arts. Bella Vista's rambling mission-style hacienda, with its working apple orchards, bountiful gardens and beehives, is the idyllic venue for Isabel's project…and the perfect place for her to forget the past. But Isabel's carefully ordered plans begin to go awry when swaggering, war-torn journalist Cormac O'Neill arrives to dig up old history. He's always been better at exposing the lives of others than showing his own closely guarded heart, but the pleasures of small-town life and the searing sensuality of Isabel's kitchen coax him into revealing a few truths of his own.

Top-Bar Beekeeping is an offering designed to encourage beekeepers around the world to keep bees naturally by providing beekeeping basics, hive management and the utilization of top-bar hives. In recent years, beekeepers have had to face tremendous challenges, from pests, such as varroa and tracheal mites, to the mysterious but even more devastating phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Yet in backyards and on rooftops all over the world, bees are being raised successfully, even without antibiotics, miticides, or other chemical inputs. More and more organically-minded beekeepers are now using top-bar hives, in which the shape of the interior resembles a hollow log. Long lasting and completely biodegradable, a top-bar hive made of untreated wood allows bees to build comb naturally rather than simply filling prefabricated foundation frames in a typical box hive with added supers. Top-bar hives yield slightly less honey but produce more beeswax than a typical Langstroth box hive. Regular hive inspection and the removal of old combs helps to keep bees healthier and naturally disease-free. Top-Bar Beekeeping provides complete information on hive management and other aspects of using these innovative hives. All home and hobbyist beekeepers who have the time and interest in keeping bees intensively should consider the natural, low-stress methods outlined in this book. It will also appeal to home orchardists, gardeners, and permaculture practitioners who look to bees for pollination as well as honey or beeswax.

The most joyful emanation produced by a colony of bees is known as the “song of increase”—declaring that the hive is flourishing and the bees are happy in its abundance. Song of Increase takes us inside the world of the honeybee to glean the wisdom of these fascinating creatures with whom humanity has shared a sacred bond for millennia. Within these pages is a bee-centric approach to living with honeybees, rather than advice for simply maximizing the products they provide. Jacqueline Freeman takes us beyond traditional beekeeping and offers a way to work in harmony with honeybees for both their good and ours. “Our way is one of kind observation,” she explains, “where we create supportive homes and fields for bees to live in, as well as tend the heartfelt relationships we form by being together.” Song of Increase focuses on hidden aspects of apiculture that lead us naturally to more sustainable practices. Freeman illuminates the unity consciousness that guides every action in the colony and how this profound awareness can influence the way we see both the natural world and ourselves. Each chapter presents a wealth of information about the life of bees, including Freeman’s personal insights and direct teachings received from the bees themselves.

From the #1 internationally bestselling author Santa Montefiore—a family rocked by tragedy, a love that lives through time, and a story that will stay in your heart. England, 1932: Grace Hamblin is growing up on a beautiful rural estate. The beekeeper’s daughter, she knows her place and her future—until her father dies unexpectedly and leaves her alone. Her childhood friend Freddie has recently become her lover, and she is thankful when they are able to marry and take over her father’s duties. But there is another man she just can’t shake from her thoughts… Massachusetts, 1973: Grace’s beautiful, impetuous daughter Trixie Valentine is in love. Jasper Duncliffe is wild and romantic, and in a band that might hit it big. But when his brother dies and he is called home to England, Jasper promises to come back for Trixie one day, if only she will wait for him. Grace tries to support her daughter, but Trixie brushes off her mother’s comfort in the confidence that Jasper’s feelings for her are real… Both mother and daughter are searching for love and happiness, unaware of the secrets that bind them. To find what they are longing for they must confront the past and unravel the lies told long ago.

Emma Troxler is struggling. She isn't very happy in her job as a security installation salesperson. She's always in conflict with her mother. She has few friends. And her marriage is not what it appears to be. The Beekeeper's Wife follows one woman's journey of learning how to let go of what keeps her stuck, and finding out how to open her heart to life. Exploring the power of loss and love, New York Times bestselling author Lynne Hinton weaves a story of courage, friendship, what we need to feel secure, and what is required to move forward.

The Barefoot Beekeeper is a book about chemical-free beekeeping, showing how it can be made accessible for all including those with disabilities. No heavy lifting is required. The author advocates small-scale, low-impact beekeeping with minimal disturbance to the bees and more time spent observing and learning from them. He shows how to make everything you need to keep bees yourself using recycled materials and simple tools.

According to Egyptian mythology, when the ancient Egyptian sun god Re cried, his tears turned into honey bees upon touching the ground. For this reason, the honey bee was sacrosanct in ancient Egyptian culture. From the art depicting bees on temple walls to the usage of beeswax as a healing ointment, the honey bee was a pervasive cultural motif in ancient Egypt because of its connection to the sun god Re. Gene Kritsky delivers a concise introduction of the relationship between the honey bee and ancient Egyptian culture, through the lenses of linguistics, archeology, religion, health, and economics. Kritsky delves into ancient Egypt's multifaceted society, and traces the importance of the honey bee in everything from death rituals to trade. In doing so, Kritsky brings new evidence to light of how advanced and fascinating the ancient Egyptians were. This richly illustrated work appeals to a broad range of interests. For archeology lovers, Kritsky delves into the archeological evidence of Egyptian beekeeping and discusses newly discovered tombs, as well as evidence of manmade hives. Linguists will be fascinated by Kritsky's discussion of the first documented written evidence of the honeybee hieroglyph. And anyone interested in ancient Egypt or ancient cultures in general will be intrigued by Kritsky's treatment of the first documented beekeepers. This book provides a unique social commentary of a community so far removed from modern humans chronologically speaking, and yet so fascinating because of the stunning advances their society made. Beekeeping is the latest evidence of how ahead of their times the Egyptians were, and the ensuing narrative is as captivating as every other aspect of ancient Egyptian culture.