Eager, Lindsay. Hour of the Bees.

Eager, Lindsay.  Hour of the Bees.  Candlewick Press  2016  360p.  $16.99  ISBN 978-0763-67922-4  elem/ms  Realistic Fiction  E-BN 

A young Hispanic girl travels to the family ranch in the unusually dry northern desert of New Mexico. Dragged there by her parents to help move her senile grandfather from the ranch to an elder-care facility, she learns about her family and more about herself.  Young Carol (whose real name is Carolina) is a wonderfully written ‘tween who carries this book as its narrator and thinker. Her perspective and worldview turn what could have been a very “blah” story into one that will delight the reader. Every character is carefully drawn for the reader, as are the sometimes tenuous relationships between characters. The conflict often found in immigrant families –- between blending into the dominant culture and seeing the need to retain the important elements of the original culture -- is at the center of this story. A sampling of Grandpa Serge’s memories, written in italics, provides a contrast with the dialogue among all of the family members, as heard by Carol. Not unexpectedly, the story has a happy ending, which is most satisfying in a book like this.

Summary: A young Hispanic girl travels to the family ranch in the unusually dry northern desert of New Mexico. Dragged there by her parents to help move her senile grandfather from the ranch to an elder-care facility, she learns about her family and more about herself. 

Families-Fiction, Immigrants-Fiction                              --Lynn Fisher