Bee Season, by Myla Goldberg

Cover art: Bee Season, by Myla Goldberg

The reviews at Amazon are as mixed as my feelings—I'm still trying to decide how I feel about this book. I waited a long time before reading it. I'm not sure why—maybe because there have been so many books in the last few years that either have the word "bee" in the title or a picture of a bee on the cover?  I'm equally as unsure about why I actually picked it up—press about the upcoming movie or the realization that the book has nothing to do with bee-bees and is actually about spelling bees?

At precisely 11 A.M. every teacher in every classroom at McKinley Elementary School tells their students to stand. The enthusiasm of the collective chair scrape that follows rates somewhere between mandatory school assembly and head lice inspection. This is especially the case in Ms. Bergermeyer's forth/fifth combination, which everyone knows is where the unimpressive fifth graders are put.

At least, at first it's about spelling bees. Marginally, at least. But it ends up being more about the deconstruction of a family. The depressing deconstruction of a family. Yes, I know—as opposed to the funny and uplifting deconstruction of a family, right?

Saul and Miriam's marriage starts to fall apart. Saul spends all of his time in his study with Eliza, studying words while Miriam is out on secret shoplifting trips. Aaron, Saul's formerly favored child, becomes involved with a group of Hare Krishnas. 

Re-reading that, I realize that a brief description makes the book sound like it might be a farce. In another author's hands, I guess it could be. But Myla Goldberg's version is a tragedy. In other words, if you're looking for the print version of Spellbound, this isn't it.