The Bee-Loud Glade Audiobook (Unabridged)

Himmer's debut novel, The Bee-Loud Glade, is the charming story of a decorative hermit who lives and works on a billionaire's estate, and whose daily experience is shaped by his employer's whims. The book combines a darkly comic commentary on modern work and wealth with a postmodern pastoral landscape. It brings a playfulness more commonly found in urban fiction to an outdoor setting.

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"I wish I had known about this book when Himmer appeared recently at our local bookstore (Bank Square Books). Having missed him, I picked the book up on my way out of town for vacation, intrigued, and it more than lived up to my expectations. The narrator, an unobtrusive, corner cubicle drone spends his days fabricating imaginary blogs, as well as the bloggers themselves, complete with back-stories. Suddenly it all comes crashing down and he is fired -- only to be rehired not long after by the mysterious and powerfully wealthy owner of the very company that just fired him. His new job ... to live as a hermit on the boss's huge, carefully gardened estate. As improbable as it all sounds, it somehow works, and we watch our narrator struggle, ruminate, contemplate and grow as he carries out his new job. And while there is plenty of philosophy, and a fairly slow storyline, it somehow remains engaging and yes, even funny. A book like this lives in severe danger of taking itself way too seriously (anyone remember Ishmael ?), but Himmer and his wisecracking, self-deprecating narrator have avoided that pitfall. Yet there's still plenty of serious material to think about and discuss. This would make an excellent book club title."

— Carol (4 out of 5 stars)