Once I was a Beehive by Carol Lynch Williams




2018 Whitney Award Finalist
Adaption of the movie by the same name

Sixteen-year-old Lane Speer spends her family vacations camping in the mountains, taking the memories for granted until she loses her father to an unexpected bout with cancer. One year later, as Lane is still reeling from her father's death, her mother remarries a guy who Lane hardly knows. To top it off, he's a Mormon. Worst of all, while her mom and new stepdad are on their honeymoon, they arrange to have her stay with her Mormon step-aunt who takes her to a bible-themed girls camp with a bunch of Mormon girls. Confronted with memories of camping with her family, Lane tries to find peace with her new surroundings as she deals with the death of her father. 

Content Rating:

Religious Content

  • References to God and Prayers
  • The main character goes on a church sponsored camp with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Where to Find It:

  • Amazon On Kindle Unlimited!

My Take:

I enjoyed the movie version of this as a fun watch, but the book really takes it to the next level. Carol Lynch Williams does an amazing job of portraying Lane. Told in short chapters, this book deals with what could have become a preachy setting in a delicate and tasteful way.  This one could really appeal to a wide range of ages. It's not too mature for young readers, but still has enough depth to appeal to older teens. I recommended it for readers 11 and up.


*Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

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