Wow
When this book first came out, it was compared to Atwood's Handmaid's Tale. I think this is because of the reproduction theme that makes up part of the book. But such a comparison is false. It is actually an American The Hen Who Dream She Could Fly.
On the surface, the story is about a bee, a Flora, who might be more than just a simply Flora (a basic sanitation bee). She finds herself tending the young, even meeting the queen. But the hive has problems.
The book is really about being, of not so much finding oneself but of being. Of coming to terms with being and pushing back against injustice, to a degree. But it is also about natural cycles (there is a wonderful framing device that is tied to folklore about bees).
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