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The Secret Life of Bees

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During the summer of 1964 in rural South Carolina, a young girl is given a home by three black, beekeeping sisters. As she enters their mesmerizing secret world of bees and honey, she discovers a place where she can find the single thing her heart longs for most. The story follows fourteen-year-old Lily as she searches for love and her place in the world, bringing the 1960s in the U.S South to life in a creative tale of self-discovery, mother-daughter relationships, and finding acceptance among an eccentric group of black women beekeepers.

Lily, a motherless 14-year-old, embarks on an emotional voyage of self-discovery, accompanied by her black nanny, fleeing from an emotionally abusive father and the law. Through her journey, she discovers herself, her mother, and her future with the help of the black women beekeepers she encounters. The book delves into themes of friendship, mother-daughter relationships, confronting prejudices, and the resilience and spirit of strong women facing numerous challenges.

Characters:

The characters are well-developed, showcasing diverse perspectives on love, race, and personal growth.

Writing/Prose:

Kidd's writing style is rich, evocative, and captures the essence of the Southern setting and its characters.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around Lily's quest to uncover her past and seek maternal love while facing the realities of racial tensions in 1964.

Setting:

The setting of 1960s South Carolina plays a crucial role in the thematic exploration of race and identity.

Pacing:

The pacing is balanced, with a gradual build-up towards significant emotional moments.
The queen, for her part, is the unifying force of the community; if she is removed from the hive, the workers very quickly sense her absence. After a few hours, or even less, they show unmistakable si...

Notes:

Lily Owens lives with an abusive father on a peach farm in South Carolina.
Her first memory is of accidentally killing her mother.
Lily's only friend is Rosaleen, a black woman who acts as a surrogate mother.
Rosaleen gets into trouble while trying to register to vote, leading to their escape.
They flee to Tiburon, South Carolina, following a clue on the back of a picture of a black Madonna.
The Boatwright sisters, who are beekeepers, take them in.
August, one of the sisters, becomes a mother figure to Lily.
The book explores themes of race, female empowerment, and the search for identity.
The story is set during the Civil Rights movement and addresses racial tensions.
Lily learns about forgiveness and acceptance through her experiences with the Boatwright sisters.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of racism, violence, parental abuse, and death.

Has Romance?

There is a medium level of romance present, particularly in the relationships that develop between Lily and the other characters, including a crush on Zach.

From The Publisher:

K is for Kidd. Set in South Carolina during the tumultuous summer of 1964, The Secret Life of Bees also ushered young Lily Owens, a girl transformed by the power and divinity of the female spirit, into the canon of modern-day heroines. Lily and her fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother" escape the racism of their hometown and find refuge with an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, whose world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna is mesmerizing.

Ratings (115)

Incredible (23)
Loved It (59)
Liked It (20)
It Was OK (10)
Did Not Like (2)
Hated It (1)

Reader Stats (186):

Read It (128)
Currently Reading (2)
Want To Read (44)
Did Not Finish (4)
Not Interested (8)

2 comment(s)

Loved It
5 months

4.5 stars

South Carolina in 1964. Lily is a fourteen year old living with her heartless father and motherless. She is looked after by a black housekeeper who is next to mother to her, Rosaleen. Lily had fantasies about her dead mother, and wants to find out more about her. But soon a turn of events forces Lily to run away from her home and she ends up in South Carolina town. She is not in this town by mere chance but she follows the clues found in materials left by her mother.

Lily along with Rosaleen starts living with three sisters who are experts in bee keeping. Lily learns about bee keeping and about her mother and also slowly turns her life into something concrete. Its as if she finds her place in the world.

This book has a lot of really strong female characters. Hardworking, strong and warm ladies who are a kind of inspiration in their own. Touching and emotional as well as tense and heartbreaking giving strong messages about love and it’s healing power.

Happy Reading!!

 
Loved It
6 months

Sweet story about a girl growing up in an abusive home in the South

 

About the Author:

Sue Monk Kidd's debut novel, The Secret Life of Bees, spent more than one hundred weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has sold more than six million copies in the United States, was turned into both an award-winning major motion picture…

 
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