Recipe for Bees - Tapa dura

Awaiting news about her much-loved son-in-law Gabe, as he undergoes surgery, Augusta reminiscences about her sometimes harsh, sometimes wonderful life, from her mother's early death and her difficult marriage to a life-changing love affair and the benefits of old age. 25,000 first printing.

late summer, hives full of ripening honey emitted a particular scent, like the whiff of sweetness Augusta used to catch passing by the candy-apple kiosk at the fall fair."

Gail Anderson-Dargatz's beautiful new novel is saturated with bee lore, rich domestic detail, wondrous imagery culled from rural kitchens and gardens, and shining insights into family and friendship. And at its heart are the life, death, and resurrection of an extraordinary marriage.

A Recipe for Bees introduces a remarkable and engaging heroine whose quest for love and independence spans a lifetime. Augusta Olsen has attitude, a wicked funny bone, a generous and wayward heart, and the gift of second sight.

When her mother dies, Augusta is bereft and without direction until she marries her first suitor, Karl, the shy son of a detestable old farmer. As a young woman with an eye for beauty who longs for affection, she finds life on their remote, rustic farm almost unbearable. W