Drop-in book club for adults

Today's book is Gray Bees by Andrey Kurkov.

Beekeeper Sergei Sergeyevich is a mild-mannered man. His marriage fell apart, and he no longer sees his daughter. He lives alone in a cottage with a garden at the end of a sleepy village street. Life offers no surprises, and that’s how he wants it. But things are not as usual. The neighbors have left, and the houses around him stand eerily abandoned.

The village lies in the heart of the “gray zone” in Donbass, in a no-man’s-land controlled neither by the Ukrainian army nor by the Russian separatists.

Gradually, Sergeyevich becomes convinced that the bees must be saved to safety. One day, he loads his car with hives and sets off toward something he can barely imagine. His journey into Ukraine (before Russia's invasion) becomes a panoramic view of a country and its people, of simmering conflicts, vibrant lives, dreams, and disappointments. Sergeyevich is a simple man; he prefers the intelligent order of the bees over the chaotic muddle of the world. In the clash, a unique tone arises—poetic, warm, and deeply human.

Andrey Kurkov, born in Russia in 1961, is one of the most translated Ukrainian authors. His novel Death and the Penguin became an international success, selling over half a million copies. He is the chairman of Ukrainian PEN and, during the war, has tirelessly given interviews and written articles from his temporary home in western Ukraine. In Russia, his books have been banned for some time.

All who have read the book and wish to share their reading experience with others are welcome. No prior registration required.