Like Bees to Honey

May 1, 2011
Experimental in structure and plotting, peopled by characters blinded by crises and teetering faith in life, Smailes third novel pushes the boundaries of conventional fiction with a style sometimes closer to poetry than to prose. Nina Robinson returns to her Maltese roots in order to find some peace with her parents, although the presence of her teenage son adds to the overall parent-child tension. The passage of 16 years since her college pregnancy and subsequent casting out by her highly culture-bound family was punctuated by a recent tragedy that has Nina staring into an abyss of profound grief that threatens to consume her entirely. When she arrives in Malta, she finds that it is a waiting place of sorts for departed spirits. As she slowly confronts her fears and her future, she begins the journey toward revitalizing her life. Striking details of Maltese life, multiple viewpoints, and a sensuous literary exploration of the country add depth and interest to a timeless story of healing and redemption.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)