This book was recommended to my by my daughter, and since it was only 99p on kindle I bought and read it. It’s translated from Mexican and set in the early twentieth century. The story is told to the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution and the spread of Spanish Flu, along with the Great Depression and World War I. It was interesting reading in the time of Covid 19 about the quarantine rules to stop the spread of Spanish flu. As is traditional in South American/Central American fiction, there are elements of magical realism, particularly in the character of Simonopio, an abandoned baby found covered in swarming bees and followed his whole life by bees with whom he shares a deep bond. I found the book interesting and the language beautiful, although if I’m honest I did get a bit bored by it at times and was glad when I finished reading it.
Sarah Wray Writer 