A
MERIC AN POET MARGARET
ELIZABETH SANGSTER WROTE,
"THERE'S
NOTHING HALF SO
PLEASANT AS COMING HOME AGAIN."
MEREDITH
MAY, AUTHOR OF THE NEWLY
PUBLISHED BOOK,
"THE HONEY BUS: A
MEMOIR
OF LOSS, COURAGE AND A GIRL
SAVED BY BEES," WOULD NO DOUBT AGREE
WITH THAT SENTIMENT.
AT
A TENDER AGE , MAY WAS ABRUPTLY
UPROOTED FROM THE
EAST COAST TO C ALIFORNIA WITH HER MOTHER AND
BROTHER FOLLOWING HER PARENTS'
SEPARATION. IN THE BOOK, SHE RELATES
WITH AMAZING CLARITY HER DIFFICULTY IN COPING WITH HER NEW REALITY
OF LIVING IN THEN-REMOTE
C ARMEL VALLEY VILLAGE WITH HER GRANDPAR-
ENTS AND AN INCREASINGLY DISENGAGED MOTHER.
THE
AUTHOR GREW UP IN THAT HOME, ATTENDED LOC AL SCHOOLS AND
GRADUATED FROM
C ARMEL HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE MOVING AWAY TO
ATTEND
MILLS COLLEGE. BUT AS "THE HONEY BUS" ATTESTS, HER TRUE
EDUC ATION PERHAPS TOOK PLACE AT THE FEET OF HER GRANDFATHER,
A
FOURTH-GENERATION
BEEKEEPER NAMED FRANKLIN PEACE
.
"Handle a book as a bee does a flower,
extract its sweetness but do not damage it."
~
John Muir
Life Lessons
Honey Bus
A M e m o i r by C a r m e l Va l l e y 's M e r e d i t h M ay
B Y M I C H A E L C H AT F I E L D
from the
C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 1 9 199
Photo:
Courtesy
of
Meredith
May
