Bees in June By Elizabeth Bass Parman

Set against the optimism and excitement of the first moon landing in the summer of 1969, a feat many said was impossible, one woman struggles to achieve something she thinks is impossible–living a happy and fulfilling life.

Rennie King’s world isn’t at all what she expected when she married the hotshot baseball player from her small town of Spark, Tennessee. Reeling from the loss of her newborn son, she desperately needs the support of her husband, but instead of providing comfort, he is becoming increasingly angry, often turning that anger on her.

When a glowing bee lands beside her, Rennie senses she needs to check on her beloved beekeeper uncle. The bee stirs long-forgotten memories of a childhood lived close to nature, a connection she lost over time. As the summer progresses, she finds both the bees and her uncle advising and encouraging her. While healing from her loss, she gains the courage to break free from the husband who is becoming increasingly violent.

With help from her family, her friends, and of course, the bees, Rennie dares to hope that she can build a happy life for herself and opens a business that could provide a path to independence. But starting over is hard, and as the heat rises that summer, so do tempers, until everything comes to a head the night the astronauts first step onto the moon’s surface.

Hope-filled and infused with magical realism, Bees in June captures Rennie’s journey back to her true self, creating a rewarding life that the bees showed her was possible if she only believed in herself and the magic that surrounds her.