Fiction – paperback; Bloomsbury Circus; 288 pages; 2020. Review copy courtesy of the publisher.
‘Here is the beehive.
Where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees.
Watch and you’ll see them
come out of the hive.
One, two, three, four, five!’
So goes the nursery rhyme that lends its title to Sarah Crossan’s debut novel, Here is the Beehive.
The bees hiding in their hive represent the narrator’s deeply secretive world, for this is a compelling story about one woman’s adulterous affair and the pain of hiding her grief when her lover unexpectedly dies.
I read it in two sittings, unable to tear myself away from it. It was akin to watching a car crash. And yet there was something strangely beautiful about the tale.
This is despite the fact that the narrator, Ana, isn’t a particularly nice person. She’s deceitful, self-centred and not exactly reliable. She uses her high-powered job as a lawyer specialising in wills and estates as a cover for staying away from her marital home for long periods so she can carry on her affair with Connor.
And then, when her lover dies after a three-year-long elicit relationship, she gets to meet his widow, Rebecca, because she is the executor of Connor’s will.
Yes, it’s a bit twisted. And that’s probably why the narrative works, for I was itching to find out what would happen next; what outrageous thing would Ana try? Would she ever confess her secret to Rebecca, share her grief or break down in front of her own family? Any wonder I couldn’t put it down.
Verse novel
One of the most interesting aspects of Here is the Beehive is the way that the book is laid out. I’ve seen it labelled a “verse novel” because the story is broken into stanzas. There are no large chunks of text. Each paragraph is surrounded by plenty of white space, another reason why it’s so easy to read.
And the prose is beautiful, filled with exquisite observations, achingly human sentiment — little jealousies, bitterness, misplaced compassion — and all-too authentic insights into marriage and family life.
And did I mention it’s written in the second person?
You kissed my face
on a bench in Coldfall Wood
and told me you were sorry
about the woman and her sick child,
and sorry I never had time to stop
and sorry you couldn’t take care of me
and sorry you were married
and sorry I was married
and sorry also for yourself.
Here is the Beehive is an intense, immersive read, the kind that gets under the skin. It’s a simple yet stunning piece of work. More, please.
Reading Matters 
From what you quote from ‘Here id the Beehive’, I definitely could read this one.
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I think you’d like this one, Tony, and even if you didn’t it only takes a few hours to read so you won’t have wasted too much time.
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This title has been popping up in my Twitter feed so often that it had put me off but you’ve convinced me, Kim.
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Ooo, I haven’t seen it mentioned on Twitter but that’s probably because I’m not on Twitter much and when I am, all the UK people I follow are in bed because of the time difference…
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Yes, this is one for me as well…
What was the name of that TV series where a wife discovered that she was actually The Other Woman and wasn’t welcome at the funeral? That would be the same kind of theme…
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Be interested to see what you make of it, Lisa. It suited my over-taxed brain perfectly because it was such an easy read. I’m not sure which TV show you are referring to… the plot doesn’t sound familiar to me…
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I’ve found it, it was called Mrs Wilson: https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-07-29/what-is-the-real-life-story-behind-ruth-wilsons-new-bbc-drama-mrs-wilson/
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Oh yes, I remember that from a couple of years back… I’ve noticed BBC dramas do take awhile to arrive here unless it’s a co-production.
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I think it was last year…
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It certainly looks like a verse novel. I like the twisted narrator but will I ever come across it? Probably not.
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I’d give you my copy but have already promised it to someone else.
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Sorry, I wasn’t hinting! And I have reading projects stretching out endlessly before me.
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I didn’t think you were hinting… but seems obvious to pass the book into someone like yourself who may enjoy it. I’m looking forward to getting stuck into some of the books I’ve bought over past three months or have been sent to me by publishers (I’ve requested a small handful) now that my project to read 20 books from my TBR has finished. I’d love to take a week off work and just read but that ain’t going to happen.
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I got in Sunday, unloaded Monday. I should be chasing work to head back east this weekend, but with a bit of luck I’ll get a week off – in iso admittedly – before I have to do any work.
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Very keen to read this Kim, glad to hear you enjoyed it.
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Think you will like this one, Cathy. It’s a quick read, but it’s so well executed.
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great post! i’ve actually never read it before but i’ve heard a bunch of people giving positive feedback on it so I will be reading it very soon 🙂 thank you for sharing!❤️
Follow @everythingtips for tips and recommendations if interested! It would mean a lot to me!🥺🤍
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