ABOUT
THE BOOK

In 1766, at the age of fifteen, Francois Huber learns that he is going blind. As the darkness descends he sets his mind on an extraordinary scientific inquiry – into the violent and sexually competitive world of the bee. He teaches his manservant to observe in his place and together they document their astonishing findings, with extraordinary obsessiveness and insight. Set against the scientific discoveries and libertarian ideals of the Enlightenment, and the dramatic and bloody events of the late eighteenth century, it is a story of human limitations, trust and revelation.