The Hive

The Fehler family’s pest control business has long been the center of their world. Robbie steers the ship, with his wife, Grace, following reluctantly behind. The four Fehler daughters are varying degrees of helpful. Maggie, the oldest, believes she might take over the business one day. Jules can’t wait to escape to college, where her liberal views won’t make her a pariah. Local beauty Tammy is dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. And Kate, the youngest, watches her sisters as she tries to figure out her own path. When Robbie unexpectedly dies, the Fehler women are blindsided by his surprising directive to leave the business to a male cousin. But Grace–a devoted prepper–sees this as a chance to finally take control of her family and her fate. She and her daughters uncover new layers of capability, and, through their grief, they find a way to carry on.

Told in multiple points of view, The Hive is a portrait of a complicated family whose differences are always outweighed by their commitment to one another. Grace’s prepping is particularly timely in light of the pandemic and political unrest, and Young does an excellent job of showing the difference between protecting a family and pushing for civil war. Readers won’t easily forget the voices of the Fehler women.