Grey Bees

Synopsis

In the abandoned villages of eastern Ukraine's "Grey Zone," where the front lines of war have left homes shattered and communities nearly empty, beekeeper Sergey Sergeyich has chosen to stay. With only his childhood rival as a neighbour and his beloved bees for company, he endures the daily uncertainty of shelling, checkpoints, propaganda, and isolation. When spring arrives, he decides to move his hives to safer pastures, setting off on a quiet journey through a country fractured by conflict.

Rather than focusing on battles or politics alone, Andrey Kurkov tells the story of ordinary people trying to preserve dignity, kindness, and routine in the midst of war. Filled with gentle humour, unforgettable characters, and moments of surprising grace, Grey Bees is both a road novel and a profound meditation on home, identity, and survival. Winner of the 2022 National Book Critics Circle Award for Translated Fiction, it stands as one of the most compelling literary portraits of modern Ukraine.

About the Author

Andrey Kurkov is Ukraine's most widely translated contemporary novelist. Born near Leningrad and raised in Kyiv, he is the author of the internationally acclaimed Death and the Penguin, The Bickford Fuse, and numerous works of fiction and nonfiction. His novels combine sharp political insight with warmth, wit, and deeply humane storytelling. Grey Bees is translated from the Russian by Boris Dralyuk.

Publisher

Deep Vellum Publishing

Publication Date

March 29, 2022

Format

Paperback

Pages

360

Subjects

Literary Fiction · Fiction in Translation · Ukrainian Literature · War Fiction · Contemporary Fiction

ISBN

9781646051663