The boy in The Boy Who Taught the Beekeeper to Read knows the language of books - he can read and write; the beekeeper is illiterate - but he knows the arcane names for the special tools of his trade. It's a fair exchange: the boy teaches him how to spell his name; and he teaches the boy the mysterious skills of working daily with his hands- The unspoken understanding of a gift exchanged, the death of a mother, the bonds of loyalty between sisters who will never 'tell' - Susan Hill's prose is so beautiful it can break your heart. She writes cracking dialogue, and has a unique sense of place, be it the English seaside or a seedy Russian hotel.