The Bee-Loud Glade is an invitation into the mind of a man, Mr. Finch, hired as a paid hermit. He is rescued from his post-firing depression by a wealthy eccentric to live on an estate in the garden cave, take a vow of silence and be watched. He fills his days with introspection: “I tied long chains of dandelions to wind around tree trunks and rocks for no other reason than I was there and so were they.” Occasionally, Finch’s quiet meditative journey is interrupted by the whims of employer: to play a flute, or meditate at sunrise.

This book is an honor to read. The prose is chisel-perfect, the humor hearty, the descriptions fresh. The characters and scenario are wholly unique. This book is not the regurgitation of an old story. Himmer’s book is new, witty, surprising, and wonderful. Like the ecstatic taste of Finch’s first vegetable grown in his own garden, the discovery of this book gives the same impression: how did I live this long without?

– Stefanie Freele

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