Like a Swarm of Bees

Like a Swarm of Bees by Carol Anne O'Marie. paperback edition. ISBN: 9781885996541.

Like a Swarm of Bees is a novel about the early American days of the Sisters of St. Joseph, written by Los Angeles CSJ Carol Anne O’Marie. Originally published by Carondelet Publications in Los Angeles, Swarm is now published and distributed by Good Ground Press in St. Paul. Swarm of Bees tells the story of the first six Sisters of St. Joseph who set sail from France in 1836 to bring the Gospel to the New World. The story is narrated by Sister St. Protais, the novice among the six, who is eager to live and work with the native peoples of America. The novel form is an ideal way to picture the hardships of the nuns’ living conditions and the call of the ministry they have come to do. The novel form makes this a great read for anyone from middle grades to adult. Sister Carol Anne knows how to hold readers’ interest. A well-researched account of the early missionary Sisters of St. Joseph in America, brought to life through the eyes of the novice, Sister Protais, who sailed with the original group from France. O’Marie offers both beautiful descriptions of nature, contrasting with the hardships of their living conditions as well as insights into tensions between spiritual ideals and personal conflict. A truly enjoyable and informative read.