by Laline Paull
First published 2014
Flora 717 begins her life as a sanitation bee in the lowest caste of the hive. She possesses abilities that far exceed what her station should allow. Her unusual talents propel her upward through the rigid hierarchy until she earns the privilege of living beside the queen herself. Everything appears to be unfolding perfectly in her structured world. Then Flora commits an unthinkable act. She lays an egg, a right reserved exclusively for the queen. This transgression carries severe punishment in the hive's merciless order. Flora must now race against time to protect both her own life and that of her beloved offspring. She navigates a dangerous world where survival depends on cunning, speed, and finding scarce resources. The hive that once elevated her now threatens to destroy everything she holds dear. Paull crafts a story about social mobility, maternal devotion, and moral courage within the unforgiving structure of bee society.
Genres: fiction, science-fiction, animals, 21st-century
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: moral-dilemma, social-mobility
346 pages · Hardcover · Tropen