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The Murmur of Bees
The Murmur of Bees
The Murmur of Bees
Audiobook14 hours

The Murmur of Bees

Written by Sofía Segovia

Narrated by Angelo Di Loreto and Xe Sands

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

From a beguiling voice in Mexican fiction comes an astonishing novel—her first to be translated into English—about a mysterious child with the power to change a family’s history in a country on the verge of revolution.

From the day that old Nana Reja found a baby abandoned under a bridge, the life of a small Mexican town forever changed. Disfigured and covered in a blanket of bees, little Simonopio is for some locals the stuff of superstition, a child kissed by the devil. But he is welcomed by landowners Francisco and Beatriz Morales, who adopt him and care for him as if he were their own. As he grows up, Simonopio becomes a cause for wonder to the Morales family, because when the uncannily gifted child closes his eyes, he can see what no one else can—visions of all that’s yet to come, both beautiful and dangerous. Followed by his protective swarm of bees and living to deliver his adoptive family from threats—both human and those of nature—Simonopio’s purpose in Linares will, in time, be divined.

Set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution and the devastating influenza of 1918, The Murmur of Bees captures both the fate of a country in flux and the destiny of one family that has put their love, faith, and future in the unbelievable.

LanguageEnglish
TranslatorSimon Bruni
Release dateApr 16, 2019
ISBN9781721357499
The Murmur of Bees
Author

Sofía Segovia

Sofía Segovia was born in Monterrey, Mexico. She studied communications at Universidad de Monterrey, thinking mistakenly that she would be a journalist. But fiction is her first love. A creative writing teacher, she has also been a ghostwriter and communications director for local political campaigns and has written several plays for local theater. Her novels include Noche de huracán (Night of the Hurricane), El murmullo de las abejas (The Murmur of Bees)—which was called the literary discovery of the year by Penguin Random House and named Novel of the Year by iTunes—and Huracán. Sofía likes to travel the world, but she loves coming home to her husband, three children, two dogs, and cat. She writes her best surrounded and inspired by their joyous chaos. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter or visit www.sofiasegovia.com for more information.

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Reviews for The Murmur of Bees

Rating: 4.401474519302949 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

746 ratings74 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sweet, sad, joyful, true! I loved it and recommend it 100%.

    2 people found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Beautiful. Everything about this story touched my soul. Also, 1000 points to the narrators- one of the best I’ve ever heard. They transported me to Linares.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    this is just a fantastic story. The narrators are perfect.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    TW for murder and assault. Beautiful, harrowing, wonderfully narrated. Fans of Isabelle Allende or Robin Hobb will love this. Highly recommend.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was slow to get going, but was a beautiful story with a lovely philosophy behind it.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow, I love this beautiful novel! The narrators are fabulous, and the writing and storyline are captivating. I wish there were a sequel, more Simonopio please! I can’t wait to read the next book by this author!

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Loved this historical fiction - so relevant to some of the current issues this modern day world is facing. Characters that steal your heart and make you long for days gone by.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really loved this book and the voices make it extra special

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this story, so deep and heartfelt. Love/tears joy

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Narrators of Audiobook Xe Sands and Angelo Di Loreto gave perfect authenticity of the book.
    Book consists of small glimpses of history and relationships.
    The ending felt incomplete.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Honestly, I’m on chapter 21 and I just can’t finish it!! This is only the 2nd if 3rd book I could not complete - ever.......too slow and boring.
    Not sure what all the buzz is about ?

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I'm so happy that I stuck with this most remarkable book! As others have said, it was slow to start, but once it found its rhythm, there was no putting it down! When I wasn't listening to it, I thought about it, all the time. Brilliant narrators. I highly recommend this book and hope there will be more from this incredible author!

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is definitely one of the top three books that I’ve ever read or listened to in my life. I can’t believe how deeply it touched me and heart wrenching it was at times. The characters will stay forever in my heart. It chronicles the triumph of the human spirit despite the most difficult tragedies. I am so grateful to the author for writing this book.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    From the start I couldn't be interested because of the voice of the person who is reading the book. Hard to understand and no intonations, may be the book itself is interesting

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Beautifully written and narrated throughout the text. Many themes are woven into the events which left me with a touched, penetrated heart that brought some healing to my own life events.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really enjoyed this book. It was very interesting learning about the culture in Mexico in the early 1900's. The characters feel real and the use of voices in the audio version is so fun. It feels like you are listening to a play. There is a very special quality about the story that I loved. I cried hard at the end; in happiness and sadness and because the book was finished.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Very touching and engrossing story. Beautifully written and read by the two narrators.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It took me a moment to get into this book due to the long descriptive passages at the beginning, but after hearing more about the unusual boy, Simonopio, I realized I was hooked. I loved the way the author told certain parts of the story from the perspective of the different characters as it explained a lot about their motives for acting in the way they did. It is beautifully narrated too.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    ABSOLUTELY beautiful! The narration is as beautiful as the story. I will seek out both this author and these narrators again!!!

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I was reading the book at first it caught me and then made me lose all kind of intention of finishing it; i found this audiobook and gave it a second chance before quitting on it… just finished it.
    A very “meh” kind of a book. Had expectations.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fabulous storytelling! The interplay of different characters’ perspectives was powerful!! The morals in the story just revealed themselves without sermonizing.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow! Wow! WOW! What a beautiful engaging, riveting and emotional story! The actors and narration were incredible too. It was difficult to stop listening and I was sad when it was over! I highly recommend this!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The writing is exceptional. The story is unique. It is about a boy and his magical connection with his bees and the family he protects. The author writes it like a fairy tale. I really enjoyed the characters and the setting. For the first 30% I was excited because I thought she was building up to something. She was but it took to 80% to FINALLY get there. My biggest complaint of most writers is they don't know when to stop writing. Do they get paid per page.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An interesting and unusual journey. The narration was brilliant, not sure if I'd have stuck with it if I'd have been reading it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a stand-out book. Exquisitely narrated, a wonderful tale that transports you to rural Mexico and immerses you in history, family and culture. Unusual, beguiling, the author captures your imagination and paints a vivid picture of life in another world, another time. Beautiful.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fantastic book. The story was superb as was the narration. I loved it
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow! I’m speechless! An amazing story! I absolutely loved it!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Hands down one of the best books I’ve ever ‘read’. I feel like I’ve been on a huge journey and just like in real life, there are always questions that cannot be answered and truths that seem unreal. This book has incredibly life like characters and it taught me about the Mexican Revolution, a topic I previously knew nothing about, making it seem as real as the pandemic today. I also learned about how Mexican people keep such strong and beautiful relationships. Fabulous writer and incredible narration.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Beautifully narrated, such a beautiful story, so rich and vivid
    Thanks
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great family story as well as a coming of age!