The Secret Life of Bees

A masterpiece in storytelling, Sue Monk Kidd captures her audience with the clear and compelling voice of her young main character. I could picture the characters and the scenes perfectly. I especially loved the descriptive language and how the author brought you into the most tender of moments. A book which can move me emotionally always gets a high rating from me. Without getting into spoilers, I would highly recommend this book.

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

Set in 1964, Lily Owens is a fourteen-year-old white girl who lives on a peach farm in the Southern United States with her abusive father, T-Ray, and her caretaker, Rosaleen. She finds her self alone a lot of the time and not having many friends. Motherless, she craves the love and nurture that most children get. While the Civil Rights Laws were slowly being passed, Rosaleen was caught disrespecting three white men and was immediately beaten and imprisoned. Terrified, Lily begins to formulate a plan to not only save Rosaleen, but herself as well from the unjust ways of the south.
Lily and Rosaleen escape and the two run off to Tiburon, South Carolina. Why this town? Because this town has always called to Lily and she felt that this town had an answer to the question she desperately needed answers to; what happened to her mother?

Previously, Lily spent most of her days obsessing over her mother's death when living on T-Ray's peach farm. She would find herself collecting items that reminded her of her mother and stashed them away in a secret box. She brings this box with her on her journey and when she reaches Tiburon, South Carolina she realizes her gut instinct was right all along when she is able to match an empty honey jar to the jar of honey on the shelf of an old convienent store. She searches for any answers to her mother's murder and her connection to Tiburon. Follow alongside Lily and Rosaleen as they travel the southern states as fugitives on the run in search of answers.

Written 10/18/08

Definately a good read- set back during the civil rights movement a 14 year old white girl runs away taking her black nanny with her. Her mother died some 10 years back and her father was abusive. She ran away to a town she found listed on the back of a picture her mother had kept. Lily learns about herself and how to keep bees and in the end about her mother. it got a couple of tears from me. Again another Nancy, must read. She said I had to read it so we can go see the movie together when it comes out...can't wait

If I was only allowed one word to describe this book, I would say: sweet. The story was just so sweet and uplifting. I recommend this to every single person. It bordered on historical fiction, the setting being in the south, around 1964, when African-Americans received the right to vote. That plays a huge part in the story, but really it's about this little girl that just wants to be loved and struggles with a terrible amount of baggage during her entire childhood. I laughed and cried. I can't wait to see this movie now! Please go and get this book!

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I really want to try this one again before the movie comes out - it looks like 10/17 is the release date!