Gail Anderson-Dargatz

Books

Gail Anderson-Dargatz

Books

A Recipe for Bees

a recipe for bees 450An international bestseller.

Finalist for the Giller Prize (Gail's first novel, The Cure for Death by Lightning, was also short-listed for the prize) and nominated for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. The novel has been translated into several languages worldwide.

About the book:

"In late summer, hives full of ripening honey emitted a particular scent, like the whiff of sweetness Augusta used to catch passing by the candy-apple kiosk at the fall fair..."

Gail Anderson-Dargatz's beautiful novel is saturated with be lore, rich domestic detail, wondrous imagery culled from rural kitchens and gardens, and shining insights into family and friendship. And at its heart is the life, death and resurrection of an extraordinary marriage. A Recipe for Bees introduces a remarkable and engaging heroine whose quest for love and independence spans a lifetime. August Olsen has attitude, a wicked funny bone, a generous, wayward heart and the dubious gift of second sight.

When her mother dies, Augusta is bereft and without direction until she marries her first suitor, Karl, the shy son of a detestable old farmer. As a young woman with an eye for beauty who longs for affection, she finds life on their remote, rustic farm almost unbearable. When the local Reverend offers occasional afternoon relief from her cloistered existence, she accepts; when another man from the town shows an interest, she feels herself drawn towards him. Eventually, she and Karl and their young daughter, Joy, move on to a farm of their own, and Augusta looks for new ways to assert her independence. It is not until she resurrects her mother's beekeeping equipment that sweet possibilities unexpectedly twist together, the indulgences of youth, and the many delights and exasperations of old age are enchantingly revealed.

To order:

Please support your local independent bookseller, or buy online through Chapters Indigo or Amazon.ca.

For more options, go to the Penguin Random House Canada site.

Reviews

The Almost Widow

“With unique characters, shocking twists, and an emotional core, Gail Anderson-Dargatz’s latest is impossible to put down.”

— Robyn Harding, international bestselling author of The Party

 

The Almost Widow

The Almost Wife

"Compulsively readable... an engrossing study of the truth that we can never out-run our childhood."

— Gail Bowen, Author of the Joanne Kilbourn-Shreve mystery novels

The Almost Wife

The Spawning Grounds

"Anderson-Dargatz has set the bar dauntingly high for every new work; it’s a measure that The Spawning Grounds more than meets..."

―The Georgia Straight

The Spawning Grounds

Turtle Valley

“Exquisite. . . . Anderson-Dargatz creates a strong sense of the complexity of ordinary life.”

The Globe and Mail

Turtle Valley

A Rhinestone Button

"Gail Anderson-Dargatz writes lovely novels about unlovely people: unlovely people who grow beautiful under her compassionate, masterful, sly authorial gaze."

Quill and Quire


 

A Rhinestone Button

A Recipe for Bees

"In language remarkable for its suppleness and unforced simplicity, Anderson-Dargatz delivers both a quirky love story and a serene meditation on endurance and its rich rewards." 

 ― The Washington Post

A Recipe for Bees

The Cure for Death by Lightning

"Gail Anderson-Dargatz...makes her debut in full stride, confidently breaking the rules to create a fictional style we might call Pacific Northwest Gothic." 

 ― The Boston Globe

 

The Cure for Death by Lightning

Spotting Dottie

“A fabulous read that will leave its readers wondering: 'What would I do if I was placed in a similar situation?’ Highly Recommended.”

– CM: Canadian Review of Materials

Spotting Dottie

My Life Off-key

“Both a coming-of-age story and a road map for processing difficult emotions.”

– Kirkus Reviews

My Life Off-key

Bigfoot Crossing

“Pulse-pounding…A terrific addition to the high/low canon for readers seeking a thrill.”
– Booklist

Bigfoot Crossing

Iggy's World

“Iggy’s World is about family and also fitting in. It also looks at the meaning of true friendship and what a friend can look like. A good read. Highly Recommended."

– CM: Canadian Review of Materials

Iggy's World

The Ride Home

"Delightfully poignant...Will hook all middle school readers into [the] story with language they will understand and find amusing."

― The Ormsby Review

The Ride Home