Review: Queen Bee by Dorothea Benton Frank

Queen Bee

by Dorothea Benton Frank

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 432

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  A woman wounded by her past comes to Sullivan's Island, South Carolina to find new meaning in life and to find herself. As she takes up a new hobby of beekeeping, she begins to come into her own and rebuild her life. When a new friend comes in and she finally allows for something more than just "friendship", everyone will realize that life could use a little taste of sweetness.

In what is sure to be another classic, Dorothea Benton Frank weaves a fun tale of self-discovery, love, and friendship with her signature charming wit, indelible poignancy, and hallmark themes.


Kritters Thoughts:  Queen Bee is about three women.  A mother and her two daughters and they all return to this island town in South Carolina and each are dealing with something on their own and maybe if they help each other they can solve all the issues.

Holly is more of the main sister in this book.  She is trying to find her path and with a very cute neighbor and his two boys could that be where she is supposed to be?  Leslie is her sister and she is dealing with quite the relationship upheaval and returns home to center herself and figure out whats next.

Bees!  The intro into chapters with the facts on bees and everything I learned about how bees create such a community and what they give to the world around them.  To learn about bees and their interactions and then to have just the smallest hint of magical realism to have the bees become a part of the story was so entertaining.  And then the sisters calling their mother Queen Bee has such an impact when you learn all about the Queen Bee in real beehives through Holly.  I loved all the beeness in this book!

I haven't read all of Dorothea Benton Frank's backlist, so I am comparing this one to just the handful that I have read, but this book felt so much younger than the rest that I have read and I am glad for this feeling.  I enjoyed that she had two main characters that were a bit younger and maybe it was the writing too, but this book felt so current and fresh!


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.