The Music of Bees

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Each character in the novel struggles with isolation—Alice following her husband’s death, Jake after his accident, and Harry due to his social anxiety. Have you ever experienced a period of isolation in your life? How did you navigate through it?

2. Alice describes herself as “Alice Island” multiple times in the novel. Can you relate to her tendency to keep others at a distance? What circumstances have caused you to either retreat from or reach out to others?

3. Jake finds unexpected healing through his connection with bees and their “music.” What unexpected sources of comfort or meaning have you discovered during difficult periods in your life?

4. Harry struggles with self-confidence and making good decisions throughout the novel. When have you faced similar challenges, and what helped you develop greater self-assurance?

5. The three main characters in the novel create a chosen, or “found,” family. Have you ever formed familial relationships with people outside your biological family? How did these connections affect your sense of belonging?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel confronts the tension between corporate interests (SupraGro) and environmental protection. How do you see similar tension playing out in your own community or region? What parallels can you draw to the characters’ activism?

2. All three of the novel’s main characters deal with mental health issues. How does the book’s portrayal of panic attacks, depression, and social anxiety compare to how media and literature typically represent these conditions?

3. The book emphasizes the vital ecological role of bees and the threat that pesticides pose. Since the novel’s publication in 2021, how has public awareness about bee populations and environmental protection evolved? What current environmental issues mirror the conflict presented in the novel?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The novel alternates among the perspectives of Alice, Jake, and Harry. How does this narrative technique contribute to your understanding of each character? Which character’s perspective did you find the most convincing, and why?

2. Consider the symbolism of bees throughout the novel. How do the descriptions of bee colonies and their behaviors parallel the human community that forms on Alice’s farm?

3. Each chapter’s epigraph quotes L. L. Langstroth’s writings about bees. How do these epigraphs enhance the storytelling and connect to the events in each chapter?

4. Music serves as a significant motif in the novel, from Jake’s background as a trumpet player to the “music of bees” that gives the book its title. How does this motif compare to the use of music in other novels where it plays a central role, such as Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto? What does the musical element reveal about Jake’s healing journey?

5. The novel presents several flat, one-dimensional characters (like Bill Chenowith, Rich Carlson, and Ed Stevenson) as villains. How does the contrast between these characters and the more complex protagonists affect the novel’s overall message about human nature?

6. Kiteboarding symbolizes Harry’s growing freedom and confidence. What other symbols in the novel mark the characters’ emotional and psychological development?