The Enlightenment of Bees

Written by Rachel Linden

Narrated by Madison Lawrence

In a romantic adventure that travels the globe, The Enlightenment of Bees beautifully explores what it means to find the sweet spot in life where our greatest passions meet the world’s greatest need.

Sometimes a shattered heart leads to an amazing journey. 

At twenty-six, apprentice baker Mia West has her entire life planned out: a Craftsman cottage in Seattle, a job baking at The Butter Emporium, and her first love—her boyfriend, Ethan—by her side. But when Ethan declares he “needs some space,” Mia’s carefully planned future crumbles. 

Adrift and unsure where her future leads now, Mia joins her vivacious housemate Rosie on a humanitarian trip around the world funded by a reclusive billionaire. Along with a famous grunge rock star, a Rwandan immigrant, and an unsettlingly attractive Hawaiian urban farmer named Kai, Mia and Rosie embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

From the slums of Mumbai to a Hungarian border camp during the refugee crisis, Mia’s heart is challenged and changed in astonishing ways—ways she never could have imagined if she hadn’t opened herself up to the opportunity. As she grapples with how to make a difference in a complicated world, Mia’s journey through self-discovery leaves her with the choice between the past she left behind and a new budding dream in her heart.

 “I combed through the pages with delight. This book is going to cause a real buzz.” —Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Jul 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9780785221432

Rachel Linden

Rachel Linden is a novelist and international aid worker whose adventures in over fifty countries around the world provide excellent grist for her writing. She is the author of Ascension of Larks, Becoming the Talbot Sisters, and The Enlightenment of Bees. Currently Rachel lives with her family in Seattle, Washington, where she enjoys creating stories about hope, courage, and connection with a hint of romance and a touch of whimsy. Visit her online at rachellinden.com; Instagram: rachellinden_writer; Facebook: authorRachellinden.    

Reviews for The Enlightenment of Bees

[MaryBeth Jackson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable time listening to this book with ups and downs.

[Mariana Egurrola · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The inspiration to be a better person, be mindful of everyone around me and spread kindness and help where its needed! Loved it.

[margaret leon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story and knowing that it was partially autobiographical was even better..

[stac2277 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book is published by Thomas Nelson and is described as Christian fiction. It had absolutely no Christianity in it. It was instead a new age book. Following bees instead of Jesus and wanting to do good because you're obsessed with Mother Teresa does not make you a Christian.

[kakadoo202 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Hollywood style humanizarian help. The millioner was a bit over the top with his „issue“

[clp412 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4.5 Stars! I enjoyed so much about this book. I felt connected to the characters, especially Mia, and I loved how it all unfolded. Mia took risks, she grew and changed but most importantly she was honest with herself along the way.

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Mia loves baking, but she wants to better the world and help people, and she is sure that she can’t do that by baking. She is also expecting her long-time boyfriend to propose, and when he just can’t bring himself to do that, despite having the ring in his hand, they break up. At loose ends, she joins her best friend on a humanitarian adventure. It’s really more than she bargained for, and now Mia must decide not only what her true passion is, but also what she is able to do. Mia’s character does develop and show growth in this novel, but my goodness, it takes her a long time! The main thrust of the story is not the romance but instead is one of helping those less fortunate. The author is definitely expounding her own beliefs in this tale.

[hes7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When she loses both her job and her boyfriend of six years, Mia West has to reevaluate what she wants for her future. She has always believed she should do “something more,” so she agrees to join her friend, Rosie, on a humanitarian trip around the world. Only, she has much more to learn about herself and her future than she knew.Rachel Linden’s The Enlightenment of Bees is much more than its charming cover suggests. Of course, it is charming with its touches of humor, romance, and whimsy, but it also challenges readers to grapple with how to be in the world and if it’s possible to follow passions and make a difference. It’s an excellent story, and I definitely recommend it.I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

[indygo88 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Mia lives in the Seattle area and feels pretty content with her life -- until she loses her job and long-term boyfriend nearly at the same time. Suddenly life isn't as neat and planned out as she thought it was, and instead she feels lost and without a purpose. When she has the chance to travel around the world with a humanitarian group in order to "make a difference", she decides to go for it.While this book does try to dig into some bigger issues, at its heart it fell solidly into the "just okay" category for me. It was pleasant enough, but really was just "okay." It didn't particularly grab me and the overall story line wasn't anything that I haven't read before. It ended up being mostly predictable and sort of a feel-good book. It wasn't a bad story, but it wasn't original enough to stick with me for any length of time.