The Hive by Gill Hornby

Synopsis:
A new school year at St. Ambrose means fundraising for the moms, and all the concomitant social climbing, gossiping, and backstabbing.

Review:
The Hive was an immensely fun read, though I didn’t agree with the author’s choice to leave some key moments off the page. Structuring the story around a series of fundraising events was a great idea, because it gave the in-fighting and social machinations some shape. I felt that all the characters were well distinguished from each other, though I didn’t think that Queen Bee Bea really came to life for me. I loved her effect on the other moms, but couldn’t quite picture her as a person in her own right. Lots of good social commentary, humor, and even genuine warmth.