The Bee Book

A surreal story of honeyed sweetness, predatory stings, and metamorphosis.

In a coming-of-age story inspired by second-wave feminism, the intelligent and curious Habella confronts her passions and those of the men around her. From her first period, to unsettling sexual encounters, to her dissatisfying life as a mother and wife, The Bee Book follows Habella as she negotiates the complexities of her desires as they conflict with the oppressive norms of patriarchy. In this genre-defying work that brings together fiction, poetry, visual art, games, and more, we follow Habella—deeply inspired by the lives of bees—as she seeks self-liberation.

Originally published in 1981, this new edition features an introduction by Stephen Cain and Eric Schmaltz.