Mad Honey

“Most People in Adams, New Hampshire, know me by name, and those who don’t, know to steer clear of my home. It’s often that way for beekeepers…. Honeybees are far less vindictive than their yellow jacket cousins, but people can’t often tell the difference, so anything that stings and buzzes comes to be seen as a potential hazard.” - ‘Mad Honey’ by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan.First off, this is a novel that I really would recommend be read ‘cold’. As I have a long history of reading Jodi Picoult’s novels, this was not difficult as I trust her storytelling skills and prefer surprises to spoilers. In ‘Mad Honey’ Picoult has collaborated with Jennifer Finney Boylan, an author who previously was unknown to me.This is a return to the courtroom style dramas that were prominent in Picoult’s early novels and features her recurring character criminal defencelawyer, Jordan McAfee.Indeed, McAfee’s younger sister and nephew are leading characters in ‘Mad Honey’. So a few plot details for context: following her divorce Olivia McAfee returned to her childhood home in Adams, New Hampshire and taken up her family’s beekeeping business. Details about bees and beekeeping are scattered throughout the narrative.Her son, Asher Fields, is a high school senior and member of their hockey team. The novel opens in December 2018. For the past few months Asher has been dating Lily, who had recently moved to town with her mother, who works for the Forest Service.Olivia’s world is forever changed when Asher calls her from the police station and tearfully tells her that Lily is dead. Not long after Asher is arrested and charged with her murder. Olivia turns to her older brother, Jordan, for help. He comes out of retirement to defend his nephew.The story is told by Olivia and Lily in alternating chapters. Obviously as Lily is no longer alive in the present, her chapters focus upon the events leading up to her death. Olivia’s chapters cover the days, weeks, and months following Lily’s death including the dramatic murder trial.I found ‘Mad Honey’ a powerful story that unflinchingly addresses timely social issues, including troubling aspects of the USA legal system. It is also a moving love story, made all the more poignant for an awareness of its loss.Following the main text there are a number of recipes featuring honey and both author’s contribute insightful Notes about how they came to collaborate on ‘Mad Honey’, background on their writing process, as well as on its key themes.Jodi Picoult has long been known for tackling difficult ethical and/or moral themes in her writing. I certainly appreciate that this novel is bound to provoke controversy, though hopefully it will also serve to encourage discourse.I do expect that this thought provoking, compassionate novel will not only prove popular with individual readers but with reading groups as it provides plenty of material for discussion along with a well written and engaging story.On a side note the golden hued cover art was very striking and within the novel the occasional bee decorates the pages.Highly recommended.

This story is written from 2 perspectives, Olivia's and Lily's. And in 2 separate time lines. Olivia is Asher's Mum. Asher fails in love with Lily and one day he arrives at her home to find her at the bottom of the stairs dead. He becomes a suspect and is charged with her murder. The story is then split into the before ,told by Lily and the after told by Olivia.I have read almost all of Jodi Picoult's novels and I felt this went back to her older style of writing, which I prefer. I'd never come across Jennifer Finney Boylan before but the way they wrote this together was amazing and I would definitely read more of her books.I don't want to give anything away about the story, so I'll just say that half way through the book, something is revealed, something that I had opinions about, something I didn't understand fully and therefore needed educating about. This book changed my opinions and made me think about why I felt that way? Thank you Jodi and Jennifer for your beautiful story and making me a more tolerant kinder person.

Giving this one to charity shop as I don’t like being preached to. I know the dark side of transgender ideology and this book romanticised teenage trans. Disappointed as I normally like Jodi Picoult books.

Well written but involved boy who transitioned pre puberty and romanticised

I thought, a few chapters in, that this book was interesting and engaging. Beekeeping, male violence, teen angst, small town vibes.Half way through the book, it comes to light that Lily is a 16/17 year old trans male, post surgery. Lily has hidden this from Asher, and the two have an intimate relationship. That any author would present a character who has undergone bodily mutilation during childhood as acceptable and normal and not cause for concern is incredibly troubling.To then present an acceptable situation in which someone enters a sexual relationship with someone who is concealing important biological facts about themselves is truly horrific. Ethically, presenting as female yet not informing your sexual partner that you are actually male is deceit of the highest levels.The latter part of the book then becomes a place for the co author to feed the dogma that humans (and in this case children) can actually change their biological sex.It's a real shame as I'd have been more than happy to read fiction based on people's experiences of feeling like they don't quite fit into their own bodies / societies view of what they should be, but this book (1) doesn't give any indication that it is basically politocal propaganda and (2) presents a situation so far out of the normal that any curiosity I may have had for the lived experience of trans people is lost in the fact that JP has had her teen character go under mutliative surgery and conceal biological fact from the person she claims to love (3) fiction shouldn't lecture. It's for pleasure. Not preaching.