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Like Bees to Honey

3.39 of 5 stars 3.39 · rating details · 137 ratings · 43 reviews

Nina, her son Christopher in tow, flies to Malta for one last visit with her aging parents.

Her previous attempt to see them ended in tears. Disowned for falling pregnant while at university in England, she was not allowed into the house.

This will be her final chance to make her peace with them.

But Malta holds more secrets and surprises than Nina could possibly imagine. Wha...more

Paperback, 464 pages

Published May 27th 2010 by The Friday Project

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The Kappillan of Malta by Nicholas Monsarrat

The Sea Of Forgotten Memories by Federico Chini

Novels set in the Maltese Islands ( Malta, Gozo, Comino)

6th out of 13 books — 16 voters

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell

Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson

Not the Booker Prize 2010

81st out of 86 books — 144 voters

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Jun 01, 2011 Sharon Goodwin rated it 3 of 5 stars

The story tells the tale of Nina’s journey from being broken and lifeless to acceptance and wholeness.

The story is full of symbolism (which I enjoyed) and I loved the way the author uses onomatopoeia.

There are references to the Maltese folklore, which played a large part in Nina’s childhood and helps the reader to understand her character – and how confusing that can be when you are living in a different cultural city.

Once back in her homeland of Valetta in Malta, ghosts guide Nina and impart wi...more
The story tells the tale of Nina’s journey from being broken and lifeless to acceptance and wholeness.

The story is full of symbolism (which I enjoyed) and I loved the way the author uses onomatopoeia.

There are references to the Maltese folklore, which played a large part in Nina’s childhood and helps the reader to understand her character – and how confusing that can be when you are living in a different cultural city.

Once back in her homeland of Valetta in Malta, ghosts guide Nina and impart wisdom so that she is able to heal her emotions herself. One particular ghost, Tilly, who has to stay in Nina’s family home, also heals as she is helping Nina. Tilly’s character comes across really well and I thought she was adorable.

If you are staunchly religious you may be upset by Jesus’ portrayal ………………. Personally, I found him to be written about as a beer swilling, chocolate loving, watcher of reality TV icon rather endearing. He loses none of his compassion despite having his own office. I loved this ‘grounded’ view of Jesus. I also loved the idea that John Lennon hangs out in TGI Friday’s in competition with Jesus!

We don’t get to meet Nina’s husband Matt but we do get to read letters that she writes to him. In the letters she describes the dreams in where Matt plays a central role (but doesn’t post). In the beginning the dreams always feature an old woman who is speaking to her but she doesn’t understand the language – and the old women represent Matt. Just one example of the symbolism found in Like Bees to Honey.

All through the book, Nina is dealing with the guilt she feels about her son Christopher. There is a timely reunion with her father and sister which goes some way to helping her come to terms with what life has thrown at her.

Like Bees to Honey is unique in the way it is written. It blends humour with seriousness and Caroline Smailes writing style is original.

I downloaded the Kindle version and Caroline Smailes told me the Maltese characters hadn’t translated well for the Kindle – but I found it didn’t detract from the flow of reading.

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Feb 22, 2011 Sonia rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really didn’t like this book. I was rushing through it, trying to finish it so that I could move onto a book that I might actually enjoy.

Nina and her teenage son Christopher have returned to Nina’s home in Malta to see her aging parents and try to settle some unresolved issues. But Malta is a kind of waiting room for ghosts, which Christopher enables Nina to communicate with.

Right from the beginning, I didn’t like Nina, the main character. I didn’t like the voice used for her. I didn’t like th...more

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Jun 14, 2010 Teresa rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is my first venture into the world of Caroline Smailes and what a magical, ethereal, quirky world it is - I want to move there now!

Firstly, look at that exquisite cover...it immediately brings to mind travel abroad to sunnier climes and a sense of times gone by. Becky Adams has surpassed herself with the cover art.

Of course there's more to this book than just a pretty face. Nina, our unstable heroine, is a woman on a mission or even a pilgrimage of sorts. Having been shunned by her Maltese...more This is my first venture into the world of Caroline Smailes and what a magical, ethereal, quirky world it is - I want to move there now!

Firstly, look at that exquisite cover...it immediately brings to mind travel abroad to sunnier climes and a sense of times gone by. Becky Adams has surpassed herself with the cover art.

Of course there's more to this book than just a pretty face. Nina, our unstable heroine, is a woman on a mission or even a pilgrimage of sorts. Having been shunned by her Maltese family since she fell pregnant as an undergraduate in England, she is now returning to her homeland with her son, Christopher but it isn't immediately apparent as to what she hopes to achieve - reconciliation? revenge? renewal? What is patently obvious though, is that she's in a state of emotion turmoil and has left behind her husband Matt and other child, Molly, leaving no explanation for her sudden departure.

As the novel unfolds we see Malta as a meeting point for restless souls who have not yet completed the transition to Paradise. Jesus is frequently to be found hanging out in Larry's Bar, sporting a variety of different coloured toe nail polish and discussing Reality TV. No, do not adjust your set.... this does work and yes, there is a lot of spiritual content but it all adds to the lyrical, philisophical tone of the novel without being preachy. There are some really endearing characters especially Nina's mother who plays a major role in rebuilding her very brittle daughter, Tilly, a young, erratic English woman and Elena, Nina's gentle great-aunt. Never have "dead" people seemed so vibrant!

So far, so meh, you might think - troubled young woman returns to her roots searching for her true identity, for reconciliation, for forgiveness - we've heard that story countless times before but, what differs here, is the author's inventive composition and shaping of the actual text which revitalises everything for the reader. Now I know that some writers can be too avant-garde for their own good and it's often a case of style over substance but Caroline succeeds in really engaging the reader, playing around with different fonts, shades, layouts. The sections devoted to tales of individual souls are edged in black - a very nice touch which reminds me of memorial cards and funeral traditions. There's so much of the past here yet Nina desperately needs to get back in touch with reality and the present. Indeed, the use of the present tense throughout gives an air of immediacy and pace to the whole narrative.

Malta is another key character in the novel with its history, culture and traditions exercising a major influence on all the characters' lives. I loved the frequent inclusions of Maltese phrases and the sounds of this exotic language are complemented by the delicious tastes of Maltese food - I feel like going to Malta right now and having some pastizzi washed down with a bottle of Cisk beer. It's a country previously unfamiliar to me but Like Honey to Bees really welcomes you into the Maltese way of life.

So, I think it's fair to say that I'm smitten with this novel - at times incredibly sad, at times rib-ticklingly funny. It is a beautiful box of delights with a myriad of themes - belonging, family, identity, love, self-forgiveness, acceptance. I don't think many readers will be able to resist its attractions.
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Sep 10, 2011 Jayne Charles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Set primarily in Malta, this novel makes full use of the sights, sounds, history and culture of that island to tell its story. I visited Malta about twenty years ago and it brought back a lot of happy memories. The author makes the case for Malta being a sort of congregation point for the recently dead, and the images of the spirit world that she creates are compelling.

There is a lot of sadness in the story – a cloud of tears was gathering on the horizon from an early stage – but it has its wack...more

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Aug 17, 2010 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars

You know that feeling you sometimes get when you step off an aeroplane in a Mediterranean country and the warm air envelops you like a deep sigh? Your whole body relaxes and that’s the moment when you realise that you’re in a foreign country, and now properly away from home.

That’s how it feels to open the pages of Like Bees to Honey and start reading.

Like Bees to Honey is a wonderfully poignant and beautifully written story about loss and redemption and families and belonging.

If the beautiful co...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Melissa rated it 2 of 5 stars

I actually didn't mind too much the storyline and plot of this book.
Following the death of her son, Chrisopher 6 years previously, main character Nina travels back to her home country of Malta to help her with her grief and to try to mend relationships with her estranged family. Along the way, she meets several spirits, including Jesus, who try to convince her that despite her loss, she still has everything to live for and her remaining family, husband Matt and daugher Molly still need her.
My...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, kindle

I downloaded ‘Like Bees to Honey’ on a recommendation from a twitter friend. I wasn’t too sure what to expect as this isn’t my usual style of book.

I’ll admit I found the first 30% really hard going; the writing style is unusual and I think it was that that made it a little difficult for me. That said I felt the book really came to life when Tilly’s voice came through, I found that part the most touching and thought provoking.

The idea and concept are interesting, and outside of the normal type of...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Blair rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-on-kindle, ghostly-and-magical

The rather twee cover and title of Like Bees To Honey do it something of a disservice. If it hadn't been for a) a few good reviews I'd read and b) the setting of Malta (which holds a special place in my heart), I'd probably have passed over this, assuming it would be very lightweight and overly sentimental. In fact, this original and unusual novel turned out to be unlike anything else I've read.

This is the story of Nina. Born and brought up in Malta, she moved to England as a teenager and was di...more The rather twee cover and title of Like Bees To Honey do it something of a disservice. If it hadn't been for a) a few good reviews I'd read and b) the setting of Malta (which holds a special place in my heart), I'd probably have passed over this, assuming it would be very lightweight and overly sentimental. In fact, this original and unusual novel turned out to be unlike anything else I've read.

This is the story of Nina. Born and brought up in Malta, she moved to England as a teenager and was disowned by her family for getting pregnant by, and then marrying, an English man, Matt. At the beginning of the book, Nina is travelling back to Malta to face a reunion with her parents, accompanied by her teenage son, Christopher. However, all is not as it seems with Nina's journey, nor her destination. There is a supernatural element to the story, as the Malta of Like Bees To Honey is shown to be a magnet for wandering spirits, while Nina has the ability to communicate with them. The story that follows is an exploration of loss, identity and faith, as Nina attempts to come to terms with the losses she has endured and struggles to maintain her religious beliefs in the face of personal anguish. The book is predominantly about Nina's emotional journey, but what I didn't anticipate was that this would be interwoven with touches of fantasy and magic.

Caroline Smailes' writing also has an undercurrent of sly humour, although it isn't evident immediately. The story seems to be somewhat emotionally overwrought at the beginning, and indeed, Nina's narrative (which makes up the majority of the book) is filled with angst and hand-wringing until Nina begins to accept the truth of her situation. However, the book also features: Jesus holding court in a seedy bar where he drinks endless pints of Cisk lager, paints his toenails and talks to the local spirits about Come Dine With Me, Simon Cowell and Paul O'Grady; Tilly, a lesbian ghost with anger management issues and a very distinctive voice; and John Lennon playing ghost gigs in the defunct St Julian's branch of TGI Friday's. It's not laugh-out-loud funny but it did bring a smile to my face at numerous points; it's vividly imagined, and Jesus is a great character.

Most of the other reviews for this book have pointed out the rather obvious and annoying fault with it: there's frequent repetition of onomatopoeic words and translations of Maltese phrases, which really isn't necessary. However, it's easy enough to skip over these lines and if you get into the story, they're not going to get in the way of your enjoyment of it. While I didn't fall completely in love with this book - I could never quite connect with the character of Nina - it really surprised me by going in directions I didn't expect. The Kindle edition of this book is only 49p at the moment, and I'd say it's definitely worth a try at such a bargain price.(less)

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Nov 16, 2010 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: supernatural-series

Caroline Smailes creates a fascinating and fantastic world where the reader is shown the importance of life, love and family through the grieving eyes of Nina, a Maltese woman returning to her home island after many years away in England and rejected from her family. She doesn't travel entirely alone, at least not to the normal human eye. She takes with her, her young and sadly deceased son Christopher.
Upon their arrival in Malta Nina comes to see that there are other lost souls like Christopher...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Barbarac rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: around-the-world, europe

This book was almost a 4 stars for me, which is very strange given that I'm not a very religious person, and I tend to abandon books that become religious.
Yet, this one intrigued me, I would even go as far as saying I will recommend it to other people. Maybe I liked it because they portrayed Jesus as more of a normal kind of guy, which in turn may anger religious people.
But anyway...
This is the story of a woman, Nina, trapped in the never-ending mourning of the death of her son several years ear...more This book was almost a 4 stars for me, which is very strange given that I'm not a very religious person, and I tend to abandon books that become religious.
Yet, this one intrigued me, I would even go as far as saying I will recommend it to other people. Maybe I liked it because they portrayed Jesus as more of a normal kind of guy, which in turn may anger religious people.
But anyway...
This is the story of a woman, Nina, trapped in the never-ending mourning of the death of her son several years earlier. She decides to go back to Malta, from where she comes from, to try and heal so she can go back to her husband and daughter in England.
Malta is, I supposed based on this book, a place where spirits go and linger until they can move on to their next destination, wherever that may be. So it's a good place for healing, specially if like Nina, you can communicate with spirits.
If you ask me, I thought Malta seemed like a very creepy placed based on this book. It's full of ghosts!
But then again, they seem to be really nice, beer-drinking, bar-hopping type of ghosts. They even cook for you.
Aside jokes, this book is heart wrenching. The writing style, as awkward as it initially appears, really helps you feel Nina's pain. She's just stuck in a very bad place, and most of us can understand.
While in Malta, she has the help of several friendly spirits, including her son and mother and of course Jesus.
One thing did bother me about this book. Nina's heartaches are not just due to her son's death, she also has this horrible trauma from when her family abandoned her when she got pregnant at a very young age. She tried to fix things with them later on in her life, and once again they were mean, horrible, to her. And while in the book she meets with several family members, nobody thinks of bringing up that subject and apologizing for their behaviour, or mentioning they are sorry for what they did. Only once it was brought up and dismissed with one of those "it was a long time ago" comments. I'm sorry, her parents were solely responsible for making her a very vulnerable human being, no wonder now she can't recover from any tragedy in her life.
Well, I'm glad I read it anyway.
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Jul 18, 2011 Padavi rated it 1 of 5 stars

Had I not been reading this for a book group, it would have been abandoned after the first few chapters. It is the most self-indulgent, fatuous novel I have read. The use of repetition and staggered lines as in 'flip, flop' might well work in a poem but it is stretched beyond belief in this. And as for the constant translations from Maltese - was this meant as a literary motif or does the author think we won't remember? On the other hand it does fill in the pages.
The characterisation is two dim...more

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Aug 18, 2010 Angie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Caroline Smailes' Like Bees to Honey was a haunting, thought-provoking look at one mother's struggle with the loss of her child. The book follows Nina Robinson, a woman born in Malta, who left to attend college in England, where she found love, but also loss. Nina falls pregnant while unmarried and in college, disgracing her traditional Maltese Catholic family, so her father shuns her. When she returns years later with her husband and young son, hoping for a reprieve, the family disowns her, una...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Morticia Adams rated it 1 of 5 stars

This is the story of a woman's search for release from the grief of losing a child through a return to her birthplace, the Mediterranean island of Malta, where she encounters various ghosts - of family members, Jesus, and a truculent young woman with whom she has no apparent connection. The rather simplistic message that she eventually absorbs from all these helpful spirits is that she should let the past go and concentrate on her surviving child.

With its blurring of reality and fantasy, its se...more

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Oct 12, 2010 Alex rated it 5 of 5 stars

It draws you in. It stays with you. 'Like Bees' isn't flashy, and not a great deal happens. Despite the sun-drenched setting, the film might be made in black and white. But the melancholy becomes a delicious one as the reader starts to feel for the main character in all her soul-destroying sadness and guilt; we grow to love her and her family - a deep love and understanding that carries us to the end.

This is a beautifully-written book by an author who has the skill to carry this sort of thing of...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Littlenel rated it 3 of 5 stars

I got this as a book for my kindle app after reading about it on Twitter. I hadn't heard anything about the book or author before reading. Overall I enjoyed this book but there were things that got a bit irritating after a while, the constant repetition of translations, sometimes a word was translated twice on the same page! I also began to get frustrated by the sounding out of noises, I think others have made the same points! If you can get passed this the story itself is good, a story of letti...more

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Aug 31, 2010 Nik Perring rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't know why I do this. Well, I do, and I know I'm wrong, which makes things that little bit worse. (I don't like being wrong.)

When I get a book I know I'll like, I put off reading it. I tell myself: 'Nik, you want to read this when you've chance to enjoy it. When there are no distractions.'

There are always distractions. And when I finally decide that enough's enough, and that I should just get on with reading the book I always love it and wish I'd have just got on with it earlier.

I did i...more

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May 31, 2010 Talli Roland rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished this book last night and I'm still blown away by it. What a beautiful book - unique and unlike any I've ever read. Author Caroline Smailes plays with language and sound to fully immerse you in the world of the main character, a woman who goes to Malta to seek respite from her grief. You breathe the dust of the island and feel the cracks of the pavement almost as if you were there. It's vivid, lyrical writing that wraps around you much like the spiritual inhabitants of the islands...more

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Aug 22, 2010 Leah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2010

Nina is off to Malta, with her son Christopher in tow, so she can visit her aging parents one last time. Her last visit to Malta didn’t end well, after Nina was disowned for falling pregnant whilst at University in England. Malta is nothing like Nina expects though because it transpires that Nina is able to see recently deceased spirits. It turns out Malta is some sort of transit lounge for the dead and as well as Nina being able to help the spirits by listening and learning all about them, they...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Samantha rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have rated this book 5 stars as it has re-ignited my love of books post-twins! I have excitedly opened the book at each sitting and have been captured by its haunting and soul searching theme.

This would not have been the type of book I would seek out but after seeing a recommendation by a friend on her blog, I was intrigued enough to give it a try. I am so glad I did.

The writing is so descriptive,at times humourous but you cannot help but hold dear, the fragile mindset of the main character an...more

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Dec 22, 2010 Rebecca Emin rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is the second book by Caroline Smailes that I have read and I was not disappointed.

The author has a very distinctive style and is creative in her use of fonts and white space which I find absolutely fascinating. It's wonderful to see someone pushing the boundaries of what is considered 'normal' in a novel, and achieving so much with it.

The main character in this book is very easy to relate to, and the story has a lot of twists and turns. It was lovely to read it during winter as the de...more

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Jul 09, 2011 Sharron rated it 1 of 5 stars

I have never read anything like this before and I'm struggling to decide whether or not I liked it! It is a book that will make you think and one that you will always remember. The story is one that is very intriguing as are the characters and I have to say it took me 198 pagesefore I felt that I was properly into it and after that I flew through it. The details of Malta are very vivid and I'd like to go there after reading about it, not sure if I would be constantly looking over my shouder thou...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nina flies back to Malta with her son, Christopher to try to see her parents. Disowned when she was pregnant with Christopher, her last attempt to see her family and make peace ended in tears. So she leaving her daughter and husband behind, she plans to re-discover the Malta that she left behind and make peace with her family. But Malta has some surprises that even Nina could not have envisaged.

It transpires that Malta is not the beautiful unspoiled island of her youth, but a sort of transit lou...more

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May 06, 2013 Mary Lou rated it 4 of 5 stars

A sad, haunting and brave work about loss and guilt, this sincere novel uses all sorts of tricks and innovative techniques to captivate the reader. It all worked for me. The handwritten love letters were heartbreaking and the repetitive translation of phrases doubled as a refrain and perhaps a reminder of how often we need to be told truths before they sink in.

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Feb 18, 2012 June Seghni rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: modern-fiction

I flew through this because I realised I had read it before and hadn't recognised the title..as I began reading ,it immediately came back to me..this story of grief, loss and ultimately healing brought me to tears..this is the second work by this author I have read and although it was sad, I really liked it..

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Jun 30, 2010 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of the things I liked about this book was the unusual style. I've never read a book that was formatted or written like this, so I enjoyed seeing something different. Another was the "visit to Malta." I'd never been there and knew very little about it, but now feel like I have-- ah the joys of reading! I love to read about a time and/or place unknown to me. Yet the main character is experiencing grief, loss, guilt, and seeking redemption-- emotions we can all identify with. If you are a reade...more

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May 29, 2012 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book took a while to get into. I'm not sure I liked the typeface but after a while I learnt to ignore it. There was also a repitition of phrases that annoyed me.
Once I got into the story of a mother trying to heal by going to the island of Malta, I got into it.
Probably wont read it again though.

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Jan 07, 2011 Philippa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2010

Magical, quirky and beautifully written, and one of the most original things I've read in ages. It aches with the real pain of grief, loss and wanting to belong. It was very funny in places too - I loved that Jesus could drink 29 pints and still not be drunk.... :)

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May 05, 2012 Toni rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I gave it 4 stars because i live in Malta and LOVED the fact that there was so much Maltese in it. I could read and understand all of the book. The english and the maltese :)

Yet The story was very repetitive, that many sentences were written over and over again. Also the sounds were waste of space.

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Sep 15, 2012 Karine Whitton rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 29, 2012 Rachel rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: gave-up-reading-or-disappointing

I really can't be bothered to read anymore of this. I've tried but the style irritates and I think it's going to be fairly obvious what happened. I might be wrong but am willing to take the chance on that!

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