NEW RELEASE


The Hive - Gill Hornby (2013)

This story centres around the mothers of St Ambrose primary school, which this year has welcomed a handsome new principal, Tom Orchard. But the real power lies in the hands of Beatrice, the queen bee of the school mums and chair of the fundraising committee. Rachel finds she's on the outer, cast aside after her husband left her for another woman. Heather is desperate to belong and is willing to volunteer for anything; Georgie really can't be bothered getting involved, Jo is dealing with a depressed, out-of-work husband and new arrival Bubba is happy to throw her money around. With a real sting in its tale, this novel - by the sister of Nick - offers a satirical look at the power plays of playground politics, a sort of Mean Girls as mums. Bea is cast as the truly despicable villain, complete with bullying child, and it was her ridiculous antics that I enjoyed the most. The writing seemed disjointed at times, which caused my interest to wane, and some might find the bee motif overdone. But still worth a read if you enjoy stories about women behaving badly.



The Hive, the debut novel by Nick Hornby's sister Gill Hornby, is a story centred around the politics of the school gate. The summary says: "Welcome to St Ambrose Primary School. A world of friendships, fights and feuding. And that's just the mothers. It's the start of another school year at St Ambrose. But while the children are in the classroom colouring in, their mothers are learning sharper lessons on the other side of the school gates. Lessons in friendship. Lessons in betrayal. Lessons in the laws of community, the transience of power... and how to get invited to lunch. Beatrice - undisputed queen bee. Ruler, by Divine Right, of all school fund-raising, this year, last year and, surely, for many years to come. Heather - desperate to volunteer, desperate to be noticed, desperate just to belong. Georgie - desperate for a fag. And Rachel - watching them all, keeping her distance. But soon to discover that the line between amused observer and miserable outcast is a thin one."

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