Our book for this month is The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. The Bee Sting was published in 2023 and won the Nero Book Award for Fiction, as well as being shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023.
Description
A funny, thought-provoking story of one family desperately clinging on as their world falls apart . . .
The Barnes family is in trouble. Dickie's once-lucrative car business is going under - but rather than face the music, he's spending his days in the woods, building an apocalypse-proof bunker with a renegade handyman.
His wife Imelda is selling off her jewellery on eBay while their teenage daughter Cass, formerly top of her class, seems determined to binge-drink her way to her final exams. And twelve-year-old PJ is putting the final touches to his grand plan to run away from home.
Where did it all go wrong? A patch of ice on the tarmac, a casual favour to a charming stranger, a bee caught beneath a bridal veil? Can a single moment of bad luck change the direction of a life? And if the story has already been written - is there still time to find a happy ending?
Other stuff
We will be meeting in the Brewhouse & Kitchen on Cotham Hill from 7pm. We've arranged with the pub to use their events space upstairs to ensure we'll have space to accommodate everyone. Please consider buying a drink from the bar downstairs to support the pub! We expect the event to last for around two hours including a break. We look forward to seeing you there!
