Publication Date: September 2, 2025
Uncle Dixon always told Rennie to tell the bees everything, but somewhere along the way, Rennie forgot. Now, with her life at its lowest, she begins to see the bees in a new light. Will she believe again in the magic of the hives, and will she listen as the bees try to guide her home? Perfect for fans of Sarah Addison Allen, Margaret Renkl, and Rachel Linden.
It’s 1969, and the town of Spark Tennessee, is just as excited about the moon landing as the rest of the country. Rennie Hendricks is grieving and trying to heal from the unimaginable loss of her infant son. She had hoped a child would repair the cracks in her marriage to her husband, Tiny, but the tragedy has only served to illuminate his abusive character. Trying to relieve some of the financial stress that inflames Tiny’s anger, Rennie accepts a position cooking at the local diner. Hidden away in a kitchen making delicious food, she rediscovers the joy she finds in cooking for others, and as she spends more time with her new boss, she realizes there are more options for women than she thought possible.
One of the benefits of her new job is that she can bring meals to her beloved Uncle Dixon, the man who practically raised her along with her late Aunt Eugenia, a woman unkindly labeled as a witch by most of the town. What those people didn’t understand is that Eugenia was a healer and connected to power they couldn’t grasp.
Rennie thinks her elderly uncle is confused when he talks about communicating with his bees, but then she starts to see them glow, leading her toward safety time and time again. Could it be that these bees, discovered long ago by her Aunt Eugenia, are magical and trying to tell her something? And what about the new neighbor, Ambrose Beckett, who seems to understand the bees too. Is he being truthful about why he has moved to Spark, or is there more to him than meets the eye?
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.
Step back into a simpler time as the United States is poised to put a man on the moon and visit the small community of Spark, Tennessee.
It’s there that readers are introduced to Rennie Hendricks, a young woman with a deep connection to nature. She’s got a worthless husband who fails to appreciate Rennie’s many talents. However, Rennie is destined for something much greater.
Author Elizabeth Bass Parman serves up a poignant tale about Rennie’s search for happiness and the magical bees who guide her path in Bees in June. With a variety of small-town characters adding flavor to the story, it’s newcomer Ambrose Beckett who encourages Rennie to fully believe in herself. Like Neil Armstrong, Rennie must go into the unknown with a newfound sense of confidence.
The connection with the bees and her late aunt Eugenia adds a fascinating layer to the story’s plot, highlighting Rennie’s efforts to support her newfound courage. The author clearly demonstrates the escalating tensions within Rennie’s marriage, which lead up to the catalyst for change.
Bees in June offers a beautifully written story about love, loss, and the path toward healing.
Elizabeth Bass Parman grew up entranced by family stories, such as the time her grandmother woke to find Eleanor Roosevelt making breakfast in her kitchen. She worked for many years as a reading specialist for a non-profit and spends her summers in a cottage by a Canadian lake. She has two grown daughters and lives outside her native Nashville with her husband and maybe-Maltipoo, Pippin.
