Bee Season

Eliza Naumann, a seemingly unremarkable nine-year-old girl, never expects to fit into her gifted family. But after sweeping her school and district spelling bees, Eliza suddenly finds herself center stage, no longer living in the shadows of underachievement. Not merely a coming-of-age story, Goldberg's first novel delicately examines the unraveling fabric of one family. The outcome of this tale is as startling and unconventional as the writing, which wields its metaphors sharply and rings with maturity. Goldberg's debut marks the arrival of an extraordinarily talented new writer.