Honeybees have been a part of Virginia’s history since they arrived with the first European colonists. They were Jamestown’s valuable addition and a Civil War soldier’s sweet if painful temptation, and they served as homefront heroes when the world wars caused sugar shortages. In recent years, mead has seen a resurgence along with beekeeping and has claimed a place as a craft beverage in the Commonwealth. Join author Virginia Johnson to hunt escaped swarms flying wild in the forests, visit modern-day observation hives and follow the mead path across the Commonwealth for a taste of history.
Virginia Johnson is the web content librarian at Central Rappahannock Regional Library. She has a BA in anthropology from the College of William & Mary and earned her Master of Library Science degree from the University of Maryland–College Park. She lives in historic Fredericksburg with her husband, Steve, and son, Benedict. Her previous award-winning books—Virginia Horse Racing: Triumphs of the Turf and Virginia by Stagecoach—are also available from The History Press/Arcadia Publishing.