In 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.

A lyrical collection of 10 intertwined short stories, The Winter Bees: Fiction 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.

"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 Sweet Land: New & Collected Stories

"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 Shotgun Lovesongs and The Hearts of Men

Recorded, 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

This audiobook includes a reading group guide (PDF).

Jill Kalz

Audiobooks

Voice