In the hive, too much variation is considered deformity, and 'Deformity is evil. Hall (all of the sections of the hive have special names and host designated work activities for specific castes).įrom the start, we discover that Flora is not a typical sanitation worker: she can speak (when others of her casteĬannot), and she is deemed 'excessively large,' 'obscenely ugly,' and 'abnormal' (5). We first meet Flora as she emerges a fully-grown adult in the hive's Arrival The main narrative follows the life of a bee born to the lowest caste in 'law' and religion of the beehive for those who bask in the Queen's holy love (her pheromones) and devoteĪll their labour to the survival of the hive. ' Accept, Obey, and Serve'-these words echo throughout the novel, the guiding

Representations but I was assured that Paull had created a story worthy of critical attention. Unlikely that a book about insects could address disability without reducing disability to stereotypical and tired (even if unintentionally) to disability literature, we imagine non-fiction texts like biographies and memoirs or, ifįictional, those rare stories that place a disabled human character at the centre of narrative. Most of the time, when we think of a book as belonging Interest in disability in a fantastic (non-human) setting. Studies and not a science fiction reader, but they immediately recommended this book to me as one that takes an The person I was speaking with was unfamiliar with disability Interests in disability studies and science fiction.

I first heard of Laline Paull's The Bees (Harper Collins, 2014) when I was discussing my research Peopled by many creatures of the ocean, and once again based in real animal and environmental biology, POD explores the true meaning of family, belonging, sacrifice – the harmony and tragedy of the pod – within an ocean that is no longer the sanctuary it once was, and which reflects a world all too recognisable to our own.Book Review - The Bees (Laline Paull) Book Review: The Bees (Laline Paull) Reviewed by Kathryn Allan When she becomes the captive of a group of arrogant bottlenose males, she realises life is precious, even in these terrifying new conditions – and does whatever she must, to survive. Instead, she finds herself exploring a vast and frightening ocean. The main POV is Ea’s, a young female spinner dolphin who is always at odds with her family group, to the point that she creates a tragedy so terrible, she exiles herself thinking it will lead to death. This is the story of two rival tribes of dolphins, the massive and boorish bottlenose, and the far small, cultured and peace-loving tribe of spinners. Cetacean nations on the brink of survival…

The Bees by Laline Paull