The Beekeeper's Promise

Product Information

I liked this book but I think it is somehow overrated on Goodreads. The book follows the stories of Eliane from World War II and Abi in 2017. They have no connection except that they both show some kind of courage and resistance to the circumstances they live in. The plot was good but I felt it was very predictable and the characters were not fully fleshed out.

What I loved: The history and the setting were by far the best parts of these stories. Most of the characters were well developed especially Abi and Eliane. The descriptions of the bees still fascinate me as they are in depth and well researched...inspired by a love of nature that is evident throughout the book. It felt as if the author wrapped a spell of scents and herbs around the reader as we soak in the words and themes of the stories of these two lovely ladies. Fiona Valpy neemt uitgebreid de tijd om haar verhaal op te bouwen, je kennis te laten maken met de personages en om de sfeer en de omgeving te omschrijven. De eerste hoofdstukken zijn daardoor wat traag en beschrijvend en het duurt dan ook even voordat het verhaal je grijpt, maar lees zeker door, want het wordt steeds mooier. Niet alleen leer je meer over het leven van Eliane tijdens de oorlog, ook het verleden van Abi wordt langzamerhand ontrafeld.Separated from Mathieu , Elaina makes a choice to become part of the French Resistance along with her family and many of the townspeople. She and they risked their lives to free France of their evil conquerors and return to the world they held most dear. Eliane Martin is in Coulliac France working as a beekeeper at a hotel in the area. She lives at a mill. There is so much need for mending broken hearts and healing, no matter what year a person lives in. In 2017, Abi, found herself working in France, where she starts mending her brokenness by connecting with a life of a young beekeeper from the late 1930's and through the war. Eliane's selfless love is tested throughout the story as she also experiences good and bad tides with the war and its tragic impacts on her drive to resist giving up. This was a gorgeous story of the ability to go forward against adversity when you feel that it has consumed you. It was a story of resiliency in the face of disaster. It was a story of learning about the past, which often can give one courage for the future. I found some of the Chateau scenes in Abi's story too long, the minute of getting it ready for the weddings just dragged and I found myself skipping sections. I suppose it was cathartic for her to do those things but I didn't feel the need to be part of it with her! Sometimes the dialogue felt stilted and I would have liked the author to expand on the Jean-Luc character and how he could have helped Abi trust love again.

Told in dual timelines, this book was a joy to read. The historical segments of the novel were my favourite and educated me on the role of the French Resistance during the German occupation of France in World War II. Well written and well researched, the novel was a fine combination of historical fiction and women’s fiction. Although there was a love story element, this was in no way the focus of the book.This is the second book in a row where I find myself at odds with the majority opinion on GoodReads. When the book ended, I sighed, not wanting it to be over. I so want to know more, about all of them. When a book leaves you wanting more, and yet satisfied with how it turned out, that is a treasure, and this book certainly is a treasure. Thank you to Fiona Valpy, Lake Union Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC. The Beekeeper’s Promise is available now! The Beekeeper's Promise by Fiona Valpy is a historical fiction novel about World War II that oscillates between two time periods - the past and the present 2017. It follows the journey of two women Eliane and Abi and how they stay true to themselves no matter the circumstances. Both women have tremendous challenges to overcome; very different, but psychologically and physically just as difficult to bear. Abi hears Eliane's story but by bit, every day a little, which comforts her and helps her overcome what I would call her PTSD.