{"product_id":"book-o9nr","title":"The Winter Bees: Fiction","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn a rural Minnesota town with deep German roots, people tend to their duties without fanfare or expectation, doing the work that needs to be done to keep the small community humming. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA lyrical collection of 10 intertwined short stories, \u003cem\u003eThe Winter Bees: Fiction\u003c\/em\u003e introduces characters whose quiet, blue-collar lives and relationships turn into journeys of personal discovery, meaning, love, and hope. Among them is Ana, the ruby-lipped, gray-haired bartender who cooks batches of sauerkraut for patrons, keeps their glasses full, and hoards memories of a painful past in her squirrel-infested apartment above the saloon; lifelong bachelor Herman, a farmer and radio-controlled airplane enthusiast who pines for his best friend's wife across the neighboring cornfields; the bookstore owner, Shirley, who surprises herself with a moment of cruelty following an accident; a ranting, mentally ill woman known by everyone in town as The Pee Lady; and Virgil, the beloved school bus driver who finds joy in a lost-and-found box. These character-driven, poetic stories illuminate people whose commitment to duty often means personal restraint, sacrifice, and heartbreak.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"These rich, interwoven stories are where great literature comes from: the closely observed heartbreaks and joys of ordinary people's lives.\" - Will Weaver, author of \u003cem\u003eSweet Land: New \u0026amp; Collected Stories\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"The stories are crystalline, beautiful, delicate, soulful, and ephemeral. This book is nothing short of a small, rare marvel.\" - Nickolas Butler, internationally bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eShotgun Lovesongs\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Hearts of Men\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRecorded, mixed, and mastered by Erik Koskinen at his studio in Cleveland, Minnesota; additional production support: Book Buddy Media; cover art: Brian Frink, Poor Farm Studios; cover design: Lori Bye\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis audiobook includes a reading group guide (PDF).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"INAudio","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":49882991755568,"sku":"BDo9nr","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/744212-o9nr-Square.jpg?v=1749618423","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-o9nr","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}