All the Bees in the Hollows

Name: All the Bees in the Hollows
Price: 22.99 AUD
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ISBN: 9781761823268

Lauren Keegan

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English

Affirm Press
24 February 2026

Fiction & Literature; Historical fiction

Bees choose their masters. Bees don't sting good people.

Marytè is a devoted beekeeper. She lives by the old rules: work with fellow beekeepers, be a good Christian and a good harvest will follow. These rules help her cope with her grief when she inherits her husband's tree hollows. But as harsh conditions and tax increases threaten the harvest, Marytè begins to question her faith, her community and her own sanity.

There is little help to be had from her eldest daughter. Austėja is no worker bee. She takes risks, speaks her mind and dreams of escaping their isolated community. As her mother works, she finds refuge in the ancient forest and the old beliefs instilled in her by her defiant grandmother.

When Austėja discovers the mutilated body of the Hollow Watcher and uncovers a honeycomb of lies and betrayal, she is intent on finding the truth and protecting her family. Will mother and daughter overcome their differences, learn the truth behind the murder and complete the honey harvest?

By: Lauren Keegan
Imprint: Affirm Press
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 128mm,
ISBN: 9781761823268
ISBN 10: 1761823264
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 24 February 2026
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Lauren Keegan is an author and psychologist living on Dharawal and Gundungurra Country (Wollondilly, New South Wales). She has worked in perinatal and infant mental health for fifteen years, has two young girls and drinks more tea than is sensible. She is the author of All the Bees in the Hollows, which was voted Best Debut Fiction at the 2025 Indie Book Awards and longlisted for the ARA Historical Novel Prize 2025. This is her second novel.

Reviews for All the Bees in the Hollows

Beautifully written, atmospheric and compelling. ~ Inga Simpson 'Lauren Keegan's debut novel is beautifully constructed ... a perfect read for those who need to escape completely into another time of fantastical beliefs, and yet also be comforted by the rule of nature'. - Readings Monthly 'Keegan combs a liminal world where Christianity and underlying pagan ritual meet in a novel that delivers a murder mystery, wrapped in a domestic drama, wrapped in a Grimm-like fairytale'. - The Age/The Sydney Morning Herald 'Stunningly written, with evocative descriptions of the forest, seasons and beekeeping life'. - Good Reading 'A mystical and suspenseful debut'. - The Australian Women's Weekly