The Beekeeper's Daughter

Montefiore's story is delightful, and Lucinda Clare's English-accented voice is lovely--but sloppy editing disrupts this listening experience. The cuts and pastes are audible, sentences are repeated, and words are fumbled. The love story alternates between WWII England and 1970s Massachusetts, telling the story of Grace and her daughter, Trixie. The parts taking place in England are fittingly narrated as Grace falls in love with two men--her childhood friend and her childhood obsession. The Massachusetts setting works less well as Clare's American accents are inconsistent. In spite of the distractions, however, Montefiore's charming story shines through. M.M.G. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine