The Bee Sting
The Barnes family is in trouble. Dickie’s once-lucrative car business is going under―but Dickie is spending his days in the woods, building an apocalypse-proof bunker with a renegade handyman. His wife, Imelda, is selling off her jewelry on eBay and half-heartedly dodging the attention of fast-talking cattle farmer Big Mike, while their teenage daughter, Cass, formerly top of her class, seems determined to binge drink her way through her final exams. As for twelve-year-old PJ, he’s on the brink of running away.
If you wanted to change this story, how far back would you have to go? To the infamous bee sting that ruined Imelda’s wedding day? To the car crash one year before Cass was born? All the way back to Dickie at ten years old, standing in the summer garden with his father, learning how to be a real man?
Pick a format, then compare retailer prices. The main button points to the preferred option for the selected format.
Book details
- Publisher
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication date
- 2024
- Print length
- 656 pages
- Language
- English
- ISBN
- 978-1250338259
Literary
What to Know Before Reading The Bee Sting
A novel about the Barnes family, an once-wealthy household in a small Irish town facing collapse after the 2008 financial crash.
The story unfolds through the separate viewpoints of each family member. Dickie, the father, watches his family car dealership fail while hiding deep personal secrets and spending his days building a survival bunker in the woods. His wife, Imelda, sells her belongings online and tries to outrun old grief and financial strain. Their teenage daughter, Cass, deals with the stress of final exams and a toxic friendship by turning to alcohol, while twelve-year-old PJ plans to run away from home to escape the mounting tension between his parents.
As the narrative moves back and forth through time, the book investigates how past choices, bad luck, and hidden truths shape a family's common fate. Each character struggles with isolation and self-doubt as external pressures push the household toward a critical breaking point.
Join the Reader List
Join bks.social’s reader list for book recommendations, reader updates, featured titles, and occasional community news. No noise. Just the important things.
About the author
Paul Murray
Join the book lovers community
Continue the conversation in the Book Hub for The Bee Sting
Visit bks.social’s Book Hub for reader discussions, reviews, posts, quotes, questions, reading activity, related books, and G-NRIS story intelligence.