Die Geschichte der Bienen

Inspired by the very real phenomenon of Colony collapse disorder (CCD), the novel tracks the history (and future) of bees across three stories on three continents and centuries. A 19th century biologist gets out of depression by trying to invent a new bee house. A professional beekeeper must face the changing realities in the field around 2007. And a professional pollinator at the end of the 21st century tries to understand what happened to her son.

All three stories are tied together through bees, and a parent's attempt to sculpt their son's life to his/her wishes. You could also say the stories are portraits of people too stuck in their traditions and prejudices, which makes them blind to the people and changing realities around them. Which turns into a nice allegory for today's climate change challenges.
The stories build very slowly, which was partially frustrating as the characters are not particularly likable in their stubborn ways. Yet it does heat up towards the end when they are finally tied together and we learn more about how the disappearance of bees led to the collapse of agriculture and food scarcity in the future.

3.5