The Secret Life of Bees
Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sister, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna. This is a remarkable novel about divine female power, a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.
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Community Reviews
This was my 3rd or 4th reading of "The Secret Life of Bees" (it's been at least 10 since I read it last) and once again I was not disappointed. I first read this book in high school (2007) and have kept this copy since then so it is well loved as it has moved to and from college with me, to 4 different appartments/houses, and has been handled by at least all 4 of my kids a handful of times.Â
The Secret Life of Bees is definitely a read that'll stick with you for years after you finished. Â
The Secret Life of Bees is definitely a read that'll stick with you for years after you finished. Â
What an exquisitely written novel! I had never previously read anything by Sue Monk Kidd but not I am definitely enticed to do so. I was rooting for this Protagonist right from the start and this story did not disappoint with its themes of female resilience, embracing the "other" and faith-based resistance against racism and discrimination. I was uplifted and felt satiated while reading this and truly appreciated the ecological spirit and sense of unity found in this story manifested by the unrelenting bees
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