The Enlightenment of Bees

May 20, 2019
A heartbroken young woman searches for significance on a six-week humanitarian adventure in this fine tale of personal transformation from Linden (An Ascension of Larks). After Mia West’s longtime boyfriend breaks up with her, Mia wangles her way under false pretenses into an international humanitarian project funded by a reclusive billionaire. Thinking she would spend the trip getting her heart settled and enjoying world travel, Mia joins her roommate and four others, including a magnetic Hawaiian urban farmer named Kai, to serve in the Mumbai slums. As the eclectic team members feed impoverished children and become better acquainted, Mia fights the attraction between Kai and herself. Unexpectedly, the team is diverted to Hungary, where they help refugees flowing in from war-torn Middle Eastern countries. Thrown into a situation beyond her expectations, experience, and emotional bandwidth, Mia learns firsthand the depths of suffering that happen daily outside her little world. Facing the dire situation requires Mia to rely on her faith in ways she never has before, and she turns to God as a source of hope. Linden, an international aid worker herself, writes authoritatively on the dynamics of supplying aid. Inspirational readers will delight in Linden’s global scope and spirited group of humane characters.

Starred review from June 1, 2019
At 26, Mia West is ready for her life to start. She believes that Ethan, her boyfriend of six years, is about to propose marriage, which will lead to a shared life of simple, domestic happiness. When Ethan breaks up with her instead, Mia's world is turned upside down and she impulsively decides to join her friend, Rosie, on a humanitarian trip funded by reclusive billionaire Lars Lindstrom. The trip teams them up with several unique companions, including a handsome urban farmer who Mia is immediately drawn to, and she begins reconnect with her love of travel and adventure, something she had set aside for homebody Ethan. They journey to the slums of Mumbai, and then to Hungary, where the team is thrust into the center of the refugee crisis. Mia is humbled and heartbroken, but steps into the fray and has a true connection with the people she is serving, all while learning more about herself. Linden (Becoming the Talbot Sisters, 2018) deftly combines excitement, romance, strong character development, and an empowered female protagonist. This novel is a good suggestion for Christian fiction readers, even without an overtly religious overtone.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)