Keeper of the Bees

By Gene Stratton-Porter

Book Overview

A war-torn World War I soldier hears the doctors give up hope for his recovery. He has a feeling that if he could live by the sea, get plenty of fresh air, exercise and sunshine, that he would begin to heal. So one day he slips out of the government hospital, and tottering toward the sea, he starts out weak and penniless on his Great Adventure.

Within a few days he finds a home, becomes a beekeeper in a lush California valley, and hurriedly becomes a bridegroom. Shortly after his strange marriage ceremony to a woman he met the previous evening, and to whom he had only spoken a few sentences, she hastily departs without a word of farewell.

Lavishly illustrated with all of the first edition drawings by Lee Thayer and all of the paintings by Gordon Grant. With its rich nature lore, this gripping novel is a story the whole family will enjoy reading.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0C6P6FZMN
• ISBN13: 9798888180266
• Release Date: May 2023
• Publisher: Purple House Press
• Length: 396 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

I can't put it down!

So thrilled to have been told about this author. The 3 books I have read so far are very different from each other, but all very well written. Definitely worth spreading the word, great book!

One of my Favorite books !!

I am the third generation in my family who fell in love with Gene Stratton-Porter!This book is about a world war 1 soldier who escapes from a rehabilitation camp in California. He finds himself helping a sick old man care for his bees. This book was so good that I felt like I was standing there, watching everything unfold. I think that you should read this book.

A useful classic, well-remembered

I, too, read The Keeper of the Bees as a teenager. The vivid images and reliable wisdom of this book are useful to me even now, forty years later! This is a classic, and I am delighted to see it still in circulation and well-read. The beekeeping principles that are woven into the story are authentic, as I found out a year or two after reading the book. The medical principles of healing are still being explored, but the vital role of the patient's frame of mind have been demonstrated to be important. There's a lot of truth to be learned from Ms. Stratton-Porter, and I recommend The Keeper to readers of any age, and particularly to young men.

A very special book.

Just a couple of weeks ago my aunt gave a copy of The Keeper of the Bees.(a first edition) It was falling apart at the seems outside, but inside it was the best book that I have ever read in my life! The morals that are stated, ever so quietly, are wonderful. I wish authors wrote like Mrs. Porter today. Since then I have read A daughter of the Land and I am starting Her Father's Keeper.( all first editions) I personally love her books. Unlike others I do not wish that she had written a sequel. I feel that it would have taken away the individuality of the Keeper of the Bees. This is a book that should be treasured for all time.

The Keeper of the Bees

As a teenager, I balked at my mother's suggestion of reading the old book which was falling apart at the seams. Much to my surprise, I actually enjoyed "The Keeper of the Bees" and I'm looking forward to reading other books by Gene Stratton-Porter. This story is of an injured soldier who runs away from the best hospitals the military could offer and escapes to the beach to die. Much to his surprise, rather than relying on others constantly, he finds himself helping others throughout his journey. This experience helps improve his health both mentally and physically. This is an excellent book for readers of all ages and a must for the home library collection.

The kind of book that heals a weary mind

My first reading of Keeper of the Bees was on my grandmother's back porch in the early 60's. When I asked for the book a few years later, she had donated it to her local library. As a parent, I began searching for Gene Stratton Porter books as I traveled, because I wanted to share them with my daughters. Some were easy to find, others were quite difficult. Keeper of the Bees was the most difficult, and it was several years before I found a copy--a first edition. It was like being on my grandparent's sleeping porch all over again. I read it and then read it to my family on a long road trip. Mrs. Porter didn't write a sequel because she was killed the same year this book was released. It was in a car accident in California, where she had moved because she was involved in producing several movies of her stories. Unfortuntely, those early movies seem to have disappeared. There's a recent G. S. P. autobiography, and a PBS special on her life. I've collected all of her fiction, but her naturalist books are beyond my pocketbook... selling for $400 and up. This is an author worth pursing.