The Beekeeper’s Promise by Fiona Valpy

Fiona Valpy expertly takes the reader into two worlds divided by seventy years in her best seller, The Beekeeper's Promise. Through clever narration she is able to set the differences in time and culture from the period of 1938 to present day. At the same time by highlighting the differences Valpy also reveals that over time and space much of what makes up an individual’s humanity remains essentially unaltered.

This book explores many themes; love and loss, loyalty and betrayal even domestic violence. On the face of it, one could be forgiven for thinking Valpy has tried to do too much, to tackle too many issues. However, her writing is skilled and she sensitively explores events by simply telling the story.  She resists the temptation to moralise allowing her characters to live out their circumstances with sincerity.