The Hive

It's the start of another school year at St Ambrose. But while the children are in the classroom colouring in, their mothers are learning sharper lessons on the other side of the school gates. Lessons in friendship. Lessons in betrayal. Lessons in the laws of community, the transience of power... and how to get invited to lunch.

Beatrice - undisputed queen bee. Ruler, by Divine Right, of all school fund-raising, this year, last year and, surely, for many years to come.

Heather - desperate to volunteer, desperate to be noticed, desperate just to belong.

Georgie - desperate for a fag.

And Rachel - watching them all, keeping her distance. But soon to discover that the line between amused observer and miserable outcast is a thin one.

Wickedly funny and brilliantly observed, The Hive is a fascinating and subtle story about group politics and female friendship. From the joys and perils (well, mainly perils) of the Lunch Ladder, to the military operation that is the Car Boot Sale, via the dos and don'ts of dressing your child as a Dalek, all human life is here.

Long-listed for Guardian First Book Award 2013 (UK)

Gill Hornby is a writer and journalist. She lives with her husband, Robert Harris, and their four children in Kintbury, Berkshire. The Hive is her first novel.

Welcome to St Ambrose Primary School. A world of friendships, fights and feuding. And that's just the mothers. Meet Beatrice - undisputed queen bee. Heather - desperate to volunteer, desperate to be noticed, desperate just to belong. Georgie - desperate for a fag. And Rachel - watching it all with one eyebrow raised. But soon to discover that the line between amused observer and miserable outcast is a thin one. 'The jokes are funny, the sad bits are sad and the tone strikes just the right mix of satire and affection . . . a rich slice of literary entertainment' Daily Mail 'An acute, funny and sometimes scary comedy of manners ... the literary debut of the year' The Times 'Through the minutiae of school-gate politics, Hornby skewers human nature with the sharpness of a parliamentary sketch writer . . . Anyone who has ever found themselves picked last for games or not invited for lunch will shudder with recognition . . . subtle and insightful' Sunday Times 'With a wicked eye and a giant heart, Gill Hornby weaves a lively and hilarious tale that's pure fun. If you loved Bridget Jones's Diary , The Hive is the book for you' Maria Semple, Author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette?

It's the start of another school year at St Ambrose. But while the children are in the classroom colouring in, their mothers are learning sharper lessons on the other side of the school gates. Lessons in friendship. Lessons in betrayal. Lessons in the laws of community, the transience of power... and how to get invited to lunch. Beatrice - undisputed queen bee. Ruler, by Divine Right, of all school fund-raising, this year, last year and, surely, for many years to come. Heather - desperate to volunteer, desperate to be noticed, desperate just to belong. Georgie - desperate for a fag.And Rachel - watching them all, keeping her distance. But soon to discover that the line between amused observer and miserable outcast is a thin one.Wickedly funny and brilliantly observed, The Hive is a fascinating and subtle story about group politics and female friendship. From the joys and perils (well, mainly perils) of the Lunch Ladder, to the military operation that is the Car Boot Sale, via the dos and don'ts of dressing your child as a Dalek, all human life is here.

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