This book is gripping read from the first page. I was looking for a book to start before going to sleep 3 days ago. This was not the right choice, as I could not put it down. The history of a family is told from multiple characters, yet the storyline flows smoothly and each character adds yet another nuance to the multilayered story of a son, starting with the burial of a man he has always known as a father. The theme of bees, the queen as the life force of the hive, the drones who devote their life to serving her, and the predators who engender the hives survival wind through this family both literally and figuratively. The book is so well done that it is hard to believe this is a debut novel. The words are sparse, well chosen, and pulled me into the moment, the emotion, and the characters effortlessly. If this author has published more, he has a fan for life. I can't wait to share this find with others