Reader's Choice

In Diana Seville's The Honey Makers (Sceptre, £5

In Diana Seville's The Honey Makers (Sceptre, £5.99 in UK), a woman ailing marriage to a man 20 years her senior is explored amidst the colour or an English garden and a small antiques business. The birth of Hugh's grandchild and the realisation of what lies ahead for an old man's wife initiate Elsie's determination to bring to fruition her own last rush to motherhood. Within the confines of a middle-class family, she justifies her actions to achieve motherhood with those of the bees and roses. The reader is taken through the word of beekeeping flawlessly. This beautifully crafted story, painted with vivid imagery and sensuous style, makes an enchanting read.