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Mad Honey

A Novel

Audiobook (Includes supplementary content)
0 of 2 copies available
Wait time: About 7 weeks
0 of 2 copies available
Wait time: About 7 weeks
GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • A soul-stirring novel about what we choose to keep from our past and what we choose to leave behind, from the New York Times bestselling author of Wish You Were Here and the bestselling author of She’s Not There
Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising their beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined that she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, living in the house she grew up in and taking over her father’s beekeeping business.
 
Lily Campanello is familiar with do-overs, too. When she and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school, they both hope it will be a fresh start. 
 
And for just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need. Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for him, too. With Ash, she feels happy for the first time. Yet at times, she wonders if she can trust him completely. . . .
 
Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in Ash, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.
 
Mad Honey is a riveting novel of suspense, an unforgettable love story, and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves.
*Includes a downloadable PDF of recipes from the book
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 15, 2022
      Picoult (Wish You Were Here) joins forces with novelist and transgender activist Boylan (Long Black Veil) for a spellbinding yarn involving a teen’s trial for murder. Beekeeper Olivia McAfee fled her abusive husband in Boston for New Hampshire with her six-year-old son, Asher. Twelve years later, Asher is charged with murdering his high school girlfriend, Lily, a newcomer to town. The story unfolds from Olivia and Lily’s viewpoints (Lily’s before the murder), and centers on the budding relationship between Asher and Lily and the subsequent court case against Asher, who is represented by Olivia’s older brother, Jordan, a high-profile defense attorney who has appeared in previous Picoult novels. Both teens have troubled relationships with their fathers, and the authors painstakingly explore the impact of physically and emotionally abusive men on their families. After a big reveal in the second half, the canvas stretches to include a primer on transgender issues, and the shift is mostly seamless though sometimes didactic. More successful is the atmospheric texture provided with depictions of Olivia harvesting honey and the art of beekeeping, and the riveting trial drama. Overall, it’s a fruitful collaboration.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Raw and timely, this audiobook is a must listen. Olivia McAfee rebuilt her life in New Hampshire, returning to her family farm to work as a beekeeper and raise her teenage son, Asher. He falls in love with Lily Campanello, who has moved there with her mother for a fresh start. When Lily is found dead and Asher is arrested for murder, their lives are dissected to uncover the truth. Speaking in alternating chapters, Olivia, voiced by Carrie Coon, is portrayed as strong yet scared. Lily, voiced by Key Taw, is portrayed as uncertain yet hopeful. The narrations perfectly match the intensity of the story. Note: Olivia's chapters are chronological; Lily's are not. Listens will need to pay attention so as not to lose the timeline. K.S.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      Picoult's (Wish You Were Here) latest, cowritten with essayist and fiction writer Boylan, is a heart-wrenching tale of a teen accused of murdering his girlfriend. The story is told from the point of view of Olivia and Lily and jumps back and forth in time. Olivia is the mother of Asher, a high school senior and captain of the hockey team who falls in love with Lily. When Lily is found dead, the evidence points to Asher as the murderer. It is revealed that Olivia divorced Asher's father many years ago because he was violent, and she starts to fear that Asher may have inherited more of his father's character than she wants to admit. As the story unfolds, listeners discover that Lily had many secrets of her own. Narrator Carrie Coon gives voice to Olivia and does a fine job with making her believable and convincing, while Key Taw provides a sympathetic portrait of Lily. Both narrators effectively flesh out the characters as they describe their backstories. VERDICT This gripping story has elements of great courtroom drama and incorporates social issues that have lately been at the forefront of public discussion. Expect high patron demand.--Susan Cox

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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