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I learnt about Honeybee from the ABC TV series Books That Made Us. The series celebrates Australians’ love of books and our writers. Hosted by Claudia Karvan, it delves into our identity through literature. If you missed the series, it’s still available to watch on ABC iView.

Honeybee is the story of 14-year-old Sam Watson. Sam is transgender.

The book captivates you from the first few pages, when two unlikely people — Sam and an elderly man called Vic — unexpectedly meet.

Honeybee triggered many emotions in me. It took me on a rollercoaster of sadness, hope, happiness and sometimes laugh-out-loud moments.

It also took me on a path of understanding and empathy for marginalised people. However, it was sometimes upsetting discovering the reasons why 14-year-old Sam acts the way he does, and I felt frustrated with some of the decisions he was making.

But author Craig Silvey gently guided me to understand how we all think differently and how our home life learnings as a child affect how we act and treat others. Everyone looks differently at the world in front of them.

For me, Honeybee is also about relationships and love — how important they are for our mental health.

The relationships in the book are unique and all important in Sam’s life; whether it’s the nosy neighbour, the psychologist, the transgender nurse or Vic, the elderly man who becomes one of the most crucial people to show Sam life lessons from a perspective other than his mother.

Silvey’s depiction of family is not all rosy. He tackles the bond of family, the strength of the connection and how it’s not easy to break. He treads delicately with the revelation that family is not always the healthiest of relationships, can require acceptance and an effort to find a healthy amount of contact.

When the final page was turned, I felt a sense of sadness that I was going to miss the characters and I continue to think about it — even weeks after.

One word to sum up Honeybee: Heartwarming.

Readers: if you have book, movie or series recommendations you’d like to share with readers please contact Christine Anderson at christine.anderson@mmg.com.au or text: 0418 962 507.