Author: Andrey Kurkov Translated by: Boris Dralyuk Publisher: Deep Vellum Publishing (Dallas, Texas) Author copyright 2018 First Deep Vellum Edition 2022. Price: $15.95 (paperback) In this case, you can at least get an inkling about the book by its cover. Holding it up to superimpose it over the Ukrainian Flag that I fly in my grandchildren’s playground, the cover’s predominant background is a strong azure blue-matching that of the top half of the flag. Inlaid within the cover there is also the golden wheat yellow head of a beekeeper that matches the bottom half of the flag. You can tell that this is the head of a beekeeper because it is covered with the traditional beekeeper’s hat (sans the netting) which is surrounded by hundreds of swarming grey bees. So…this is the story of a Ukrainian beekeeper, and if you’re at all astute you know that Ukraine has been invaded…
