Eileen

Garvin

Bestselling Novelist

Fiction Writer & Memoirist

Travels from: Portland, OR

“Garvin’s writing power is her empathic approach of giving strength to what some might consider character flaws. Garvin can find power in the fear of broken dreams and the self-doubt of a parent.” — Spokesman-Review

Born and raised in eastern Washington, Eileen Garvin lives in Hood River, Oregon. Her novels, The Music of Bees and Crow Talk, are national bestsellers. Her upcoming book Bumblebee Season (April 2026), is a heartwarming new story that returns to the vibrant world of beekeeping in a small Oregon town.

The Music of Bees was named a Good Morning America Buzz Pick, a Good Housekeeping Book club Pick, a People Magazine Best New Book, an IndieNext Pick, a Library Reads Pick, a Christian Science Monitor Pick, a Washington Post Best Summer Reads, and named a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by BookRiot, Bookish, Nerd Daily, The Tempest, Midwestness and others.

Eileen’s memoir, How to be a Sister, was named an Indie Next by IndieBound and was chosen as a Target Book of the Month and a Kindle Book of the Month. Her essays have appeared with Mom’s Don’t Have Time to Read Books, The Oregonian, PsychologyToday.com, and Creative Non-Fiction Magazine.

Eileen shares her backyard with four chickens, wild birds of all kinds, and about 120,000 honeybees.

Eileen's Featured Titles

From Bees to Books in 6 Steps: How Beekeeping Made Me a Novelist

In this talk I chronicle my early days in the world of backyard beekeeping, including a number of humbling errors. I explain what the bees taught me about paying attention and being present, which not only made me a better hive tender, but ultimately led to the creation of my first novel, The Music of Bees, which is a national bestseller.

Inspired By the Bees: 5 Steps to Creating a Sustainable Writing Practice

So often people ask, “How do you get started as a writer?” I find that a much more interesting question is, “How do you keep going?” This interactive, generative workshop takes participants through five key elements needed to establish a healthy writing practice. Using beekeeping and honeybees for inspiration, participants work through prompts and discussions to discover the ideal conditions for their own writing lives and leave with ideas for what to write next.

Hope is a Thing With Feathers: Inspired by Birds in Difficult Times

Borrowing Emily Dickinson’s beautiful line, I begin this talk with a story of how I found solace in the forest early in the pandemic. Returning to a beloved family place during a difficult time, I rediscovered my love of birds and their conversations. The experience ultimately led me to write my second novel, the national bestseller Crow Talk. In this talk I discuss how we can all find peace and creativity in the natural world right outside the back door.

Creating Community Through Books

In my writing life, I’ve discovered how two seemingly contradictory needs—solitude and community—work together to nurture creativity. With this talk, I discuss how these two elements have contributed to my writing four books and highlight other writers—poets, novelists, and memoirist—who’ve illuminated my understanding of these complimentary states. I also explore how readers participate in the creative process and how books bring us together.

The Gift of Difference

When I was a child, my sister’s severe communication difficulties and odd behavior made our family stick out when I desperately wanted to blend in. Over the years, I came to see how her world view offered insight into the broader experience of being human. Margaret’s inability to be anything but herself has been instructional to me in revealing the beauty of variation in our lives. In this talk, I discuss how my sister inspired me to become a writer and taught me honor the differences among us all. Using characters from my novels, I explore the wonders of our unique ways of being.

Lessons on the Wing

In writing three novels, I’ve learned many lessons from honeybees, bumblebees, crows, and other winged residents of my garden and local forests. Their unique and instinctive behaviors offer much for human contemplation, including honeybees’ altruistic efforts to sustain the hivez; sibling crows nurturing younger nestlings, and the quiet, solitary beginnings of the bumblebee nest. Using examples from nature and selections from my own work, I discuss the fascinating behaviors of the winged creatures living all around us and consider how learning from them might make us better humans.

“Eileen is such a clear and organized speaker. She engaged the audience with humor and knew how to read their language so she could deliver the best presentation. The audience enjoyed listening to her, and she really gave her personal touch by interacting with many of them one-on-one before and after the event.” — Hewitt Public Library, 2025

“We are so thankful to Eileen for taking the time to virtually speak at our book club. We truly appreciate her insights and the engaging discussion she led. You can see the passion she has for writing as she captured the audiences’ attention when she spoke about the writing process and character development. The professionalism and kindness received from both Eileen and Authors Unbound made working with you all a pleasure.” — Miranda Gentry, Reference Librarian, Washington County Library System, 2025

“At Indigenous Insights, we launched our company book club with Crow Talk as our inaugural read. Having the opportunity to host Eileen for a discussion after finishing the book was a tremendous gift. She was not only deeply engaging but incredibly generous. She shared her writing journey, the creative choices she made in shaping characters and settings, and valuable insights into the writing process. This was especially impactful for an emerging author in our group. The energy from our time with Eileen still lingers. Her presence and storytelling left a lasting impression on all of us. We are grateful for the rich conversation, the inspiration, and the deepened connection to her work. Thank you, Eileen, from all of us at Indigenous Insights!” — Indigenous Insights, 2025

“An exquisite debut that combines a moving tale of friendship with a fascinating primer on bees.” — People

“This heartwarming, uplifting story will make you want to call your own friends, not to mention grab some honey.” — Good Housekeeping

“Both buoyant and bittersweet, Garvin’s impressive first novel, a luscious paean to the bonds of friendship and limitations of family, is the kind of comforting yet thought-provoking tale that will appeal to fans of Anne Tyler and Sue Miller.” — Booklist (STARRED review)

“Eileen Garvin deftly explores our human connections – with each other, with nature, and with ourselves. Crow Talk will leave you in awe at how the smallest, most tender moments can hold the power to transform. A beautiful, unforgettable book.” — Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures

“Crow Talk is a study of grief, friendship, and navigating loss; a cottagecore book that is at once cozy reading and emotionally challenging. Garvin rewards readers with an uplifting ending for a uniquely comforting novel.” — Associated Press

“A love letter to the Pacific Northwest.” — Oregon Live

The Music of Bees Book Club Discussion Guide

Crow Talk Book Club Discussion Guide

Eileen’s Psychology Today blog for discussions about How To Be a Sister: A Love Story With a Twist of Autism

Honors, Awards & Recognition

Crow Talk
National Bestseller

The Music of Bees
National Bestseller
Good Morning America Buzz Pick
Indie Next Pick
Library Reads Pick
Good Housekeeping Book Club Pick
Washington Post, Best Summer Reads
People Magazine Best New Book

Media clips

ABC News | ‘GMA’ Buzz Pick: ‘The Music of Bees’ by Eileen Garvin

Booklist | The Music of Bees

Washington Post | Feel-good books to brighten your summer

The Spokesman-Review | Northwest Passages Book Club – Eileen Garvin

Good Housekeeping | Instagram

LibraryReads | April 2022

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.