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The Ardent Swarm
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
24 posts | 6 read | 18 to read
From an award-winning Tunisian author comes a stirring allegory about a country in the aftermath of revolution and the power of a single quest. Sidi lives a hermetic life as a bee whisperer, tending to his beloved "girls" on the outskirts of the desolate North African village of Nawa. He wakes one morning to find that something has attacked one of his beehives, brutally killing every inhabitant. Heartbroken, he soon learns that a mysterious swarm of vicious hornets committed the mass murder--but where did they come from, and how can he stop them? If he is going to unravel this mystery and save his bees from annihilation, Sidi must venture out into the village and then brave the big city and beyond in search of answers. Along the way, he discovers a country and a people turned upside down by their new post-Arab Spring reality as Islamic fundamentalists seek to influence votes any way they can on the eve of the country's first democratic elections. To succeed in his quest, and find a glimmer of hope to protect all that he holds dear, Sidi will have to look further than he ever imagined. In this brilliantly accessible modern-day parable, Yamen Manai uses a masterful blend of humor and drama to reveal what happens in a country shaken by revolutionary change after the world stops watching.
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coffees
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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It's taking me forever to get through this (apparently) 5hr read 😭😭 today is day two which ok, two days to finish a book isn't long but it's...so short?? Why am I struggling 😂 (it's kind of boring that's why lol)

Texreader Sorry to hear you‘re not enjoying it. I really liked it 2y
Bookwormjillk I have that up next to read in my kindle. 2y
coffees @Texreader yeah i think it just isn't a book for me :( 2y
See All 6 Comments
coffees @Bookwormjillk it's not a bad read, i just felt like i didn't really understand the point 😆 2y
Bookwormjillk @coffees I can‘t really get into it either. On to the next read! 2y
coffees @Bookwormjillk oh good it wasn't just me 🤣🤣 2y
8 likes6 comments
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AllDebooks
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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#AuldLangSpine

I absolutely loved this challenge and I had a great match in @jenniferw88 I shall definitely continue to stalk your stacks! 😂 Thank you for organising this great event @monalyisha Job well done 👏

I managed to read 3 books, all outstanding and hugely enjoyable. My favourite was The Ardent Swarm, what a story 💔😍🐝

jenniferw88 Yay! Glad you liked all 3. I only managed 1 of yours (Jamaica Inn) but definitely continuing to read from your list and stacks! @monalyisha 2y
AllDebooks @jenniferw88 📚❤️📚 2y
Amiable Oh, I loved “A Tale for the Time Being” —I hope you can get to that one this year! 2y
36 likes3 comments
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Mshookquilts
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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Pickpick

A slow start as he sets the political and biological (bee) atmosphere in Tunisia, but well worth the read. A country is being torn apart by the political party(ies) in power. At the same time they accidentally introduce a very real terror that the bees are the first to experience. It‘s a story about the hope of the little man and his struggle for survival.

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jenniferw88
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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rockpools This sounds so good! I‘ve seen the title around, but don‘t think I‘d actually read the blurb… 2y
Andrew65 A good choice. 2y
Cinfhen I love your graphics😍brilliant idea 2y
46 likes1 stack add3 comments
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jenniferw88
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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TrishB Now I‘ve got to think 😁 2y
CBee Thanks for playing 😊😊 2y
Leniverse Rule questions: Do we do A as well, or move on to B? 2y
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jenniferw88 @Leniverse just A, B will be next Monday. 2y
Cathythoughts Thanks for the tag, I‘ll start thinking 🤔 2y
RaeLovesToRead @jenniferw88 Thanks for the tag! 🤔🤔🤔 2y
rockpools Thanks for the tag Jenny. I might manage this before next Monday… 2y
45 likes7 comments
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jenniferw88
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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kaysworld1 Definitely in give this a good go, might encourage me to read my own shelves xx 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Good idea!! 🙌🏻📚 2y
CrowCAH Thanks for the tag! 2y
Meshell1313 Ooh fun! Thanks for tag! Have to think about what to post. So many choices 🤔 2y
LoverOfLearning I started to read this on kindle but ultimately got distracted. I'll have to restart it! 2y
44 likes5 comments
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Andrew65
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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Thanks to @Texreader ‘s posts I am starting the tagged book for #Tunisia in the #ReadingAfrica2022 Challenge.

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Texreader
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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Pickpick

This is an excellent story of a beekeeper whose bees have been slaughtered by a devilish killer at the same time religious extremists are assuming power in #Tunisia. Our beekeeper & his friends set out to discover and destroy the evil killing his “girls.” The author has a subtle sense of humor I really enjoyed and a lovely style of writing. The book is satisfying on all fronts. Highly recommended short read. #readingafrica2022

Librarybelle Great review! 2y
66 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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Texreader
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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Texreader
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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Texreader
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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I‘m really enjoying this book. The writing is lovely. #Tunisia #readingafrica2022 @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

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Texreader
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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The kingdom being referenced is Saudi Arabia, where the main character worked for a time. #Tunisia #readingafrica2022 @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle

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Texreader
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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Update on the status of the #readingafrica2022 challenge. Current reads are for the smaller countries of #swaziland #tunisia (for the tagged book) and #Benin—which I‘ve colored with stripes. @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle

Librarybelle Awesome! 3y
BarbaraBB Wow 🤩 3y
Andrew65 Wow! You are doing brilliantly. 3y
DrexEdit Nice progress! I think it will take me 3 years to finish this 1 year challenge. 😂 3y
47 likes5 comments
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Texreader
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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I love the writing style in this book. The author is making poignant points about poverty in humorous ways. It‘s quite effective.

#readingafrica2022 #Tunisia @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle

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Texreader
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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“The villagers were completely discombobulated. Most of them hadn‘t even chosen their spouses, and now they were meant to choose who would govern them.”

This made me chuckle. And one of my most favorite words: discombobulated

#readingafrica2022 #Tunisia @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle

Suet624 I still use that word quite often. 😊 3y
BarbaraBB @Suet624 I don‘t know what it means. I even wonder if I ever came across it 🙂 3y
Suet624 @BarbaraBB I use it when I‘m thoroughly confused or things don‘t make sense. 3y
Librarybelle @BarbaraBB It may be an Americanism…I‘ve not seen it in anything other than works from the US. Definitely a word I grew up with 3y
39 likes4 comments
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Texreader
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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#twofortuesday a bit late. Thanks @TheSpineView and @Eggs for the tag!

1) tagged; the MC loves his bees deeply as they set out to harvest spring flowers. I‘ve barely started it but the writing is beautiful

2) I do, even though I rarely do so. When I was young and reading chunksters at unbelievably fast speed, I‘d listen to my 80s singles (I ❤️ I was a teen in the 80s). ‘Der Kommisar‘ will always remind me of Winds of War and War & Remembrance

TheSpineView Never too late to play!👍🌞🤩 3y
Eggs 💗💗 3y
34 likes2 comments
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Texreader
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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I‘m starting this book tonight for #Tunisia #readingafrica2022 @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

50 likes1 stack add
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Texreader
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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Thanks to @DebinHawaii for posting the link for Amazon‘s World Book Day free ebooks again this year. Y‘all know I love free! These 3 work for a couple of my challenges this year. Here‘s the link: https://www.amazon.com/article/read-the-world-2022?ref_=SIN_CWBD22_SS_TW

The Ardent Swarm-#Tunisia #readingafrica2022
The Other Man-#India #foodandlit2022 November
The Easy Life-#Japan #foodandlit2022 August

BarbaraBB Thanks for all inspiration! I have been looking for some of those countries as well. 3y
DebinHawaii I am glad you found some. I can‘t resist free! 😉 3y
Karisa Thank you! What a great opportunity! 3y
Sapphire Thanks! 3y
47 likes4 comments
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jenniferw88
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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I probably won't finish any more books in March so here's my #readingbracket2022 @chasjjlee

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jenniferw88
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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Pickpick
Librarybelle Woohoo!! 3y
PuddleJumper Awesome! 3y
BarbaraBB Five stars, wow! 3y
60 likes3 comments
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jenniferw88
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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No changes this month 🤣

#roll100 @PuddleJumper

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LibrarianChels
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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Pickpick

Featuring a man and his bees, killer hornets, and a revolutionary world removing freedoms under alleged democracy, this was a nice weekend read. It was easy to get through, and yet I‘m left digesting the themes behind this “modern-day parable.”

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DarcysMom
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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Yay for getting two picks this month! #amazonfirstread

booksandsympathy I picked this one too 4y
DarcysMom @booksandsympathy I am excited to read it - it looks fascinating. 4y
booksandsympathy Yes. It sounded different than what I usually read. That's why I chose it. 4y
45 likes3 comments
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WhatWouldJaneDo
The Ardent Swarm | Yamen Manai
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I haven't read this one yet, but since so many #integrateyourshelf participants (including me!) had trouble coming up with a book in translation by an African author I wanted to share this one that just landed on my TBR. It's by a Tunisian author translated from French. @ChasingOm @Emilymdxn

Emilymdxn Stacked! 4y
ChasingOm Ooooh, same as @Emilymdxn ! 4y
jenniferw88 @Emilymdxn it was an amazon kindle first book for January! 4y
40 likes4 stack adds3 comments