Book Information
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ISBN-13: 9780142001745 - ISBN-10: 0142001740 Publication Date: 1/28/2003 Pages: 336 |
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Book Reviews of The Secret Life of Bees
569 Book Reviews submitted by our Members
sorted by voted most helpful
Sherrie E. (
29 member(s) found this review helpful.
An amazing read! This reinforces the unity of women no matter what their color. The story revolves around the courage and strength of a motherless little girl being left with a heartless, bitter father with only the love of a colored hired hand turned housekeeper to sustain her need of being loved and wanted. Until while on the run from the law after saving the housekeeper from racists that would surely kill her in jail, she finds not only her mother's heartbreaking past and refuge but her own. Very mesmerizing, totally engrossing....an excellent reading experience!
28 member(s) found this review helpful.
A well written story of a teenager who leaves behind everything she has known in order to find out something about her mother's past. This is the type of story where the characters become your friends. You can't wait to read it and you hate to see the story end.
20 member(s) found this review helpful.
I love, love, love this book. I usually don't even pick up a book about a mother/daughter relationship, but this one is different. Race relations in the South, beekeeping, abuse, first love - it's got it all! Complex, deep, powerful, and funny. A great choice!
18 member(s) found this review helpful.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought I had lost it, and was just going to reorder it when my friend came over to my house with it. It is so good, I had taken it everywhere with me ! It's about a mother and daughter's relationship. It can get extremely sad, so be forewarned. It was not only a good fiction book, but offered some good life lessons as well.
15 member(s) found this review helpful.
One of the finest books I have ever read. This is a coming-of-age story, a powerful testimony to the redeeming quality of friendship among women and a wonderful reminder how love can heal. This is a book that should not be missed by anyone who loves literature or just a good story. I highly recommend it!!
14 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book has a magical quality that you rarely find. I loved this book. It was a wonderful story and I hated to finish it.
14 member(s) found this review helpful.
Adored this book. Set in the south and very easy to read. Plan on reading agin in the future.
Dorothy R. (
14 member(s) found this review helpful.
I was recommended this book from a memeber of this site. I'm so glad I listen to her! Very touching story that will grab you from the start. You'll also learn alot about bees along the way!
13 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is a really good book and unusual. It is about a white child who runs away from a father who is overcome with grief from the lost of his wife and cannot relate to a child. The child breaks her nanny out of jail and they run away together to seek her mother's family. They wind up being taken in by a 3 black women who own there own honey business. One of them was a nanny years ago to the childs' mother. This is set about the time of the civil rights movement. There are several sub stories going on, and I have not to tell you all the action or themes. I hightly recommnend the book.
11 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved this book. Very interesting characters and settings. You want the book to go on and on. Set in the south in 1964.
5 member(s) found this review helpful.
One of my favorite fiction books of all times. It is a magical story about a white girl in SC back in the early 60's who seeks refuge with a black family of three adult sisters who are bee keepers. She is looking for clues about her mother who died when she was young. The story is amazingly beautiful and full of redemption and love while also reflecting the tumultuous era of civil rights fights. A must read!
Jessica M. (
5 member(s) found this review helpful.
It is rare that a book can make me smile and bring tears to my eyes. This book did just that. It's a wonderful, heartstring-tugging story.
5 member(s) found this review helpful.
Loved Loved Loved this book! I seriously couldn't put it down, it was so good. The young character of the story was well written, and I really felt for her. Sue Monk Kidd writes in a way that you really can't wait to see what happens next.
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was touching, realistic in its descriptions of civil rights issues in the mid-20th century South (I remember how it was from growing up as a white child in the 50's and 60's in Alabama), and at the same time a beautiful, inspiring love story about how women - no matter what their race or background - can bond together as friends. There were also funny parts to the book. It's everything rolled into one, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
I don't get all the "buzz" about this book. I found it slow moving and boring. To me, it played out like a made for TV Hallmark movie, which on a boring Sunday night I may find entertaining, but for hours worth of reading I was bored pretty much from beginning to end. The only reason I kept reading was because I heard it was such a good book, and I kept waiting for the good part. Every night I would be determined to finish the book and I'd get 20 pages in and fall asleep. I'm glad I finally got through it. I understand how there's the themes of mother/sister/womanhood, but I felt this book has been done before by other BETTER authors. I think it would make an interesting movie, but for such a hyped up book I was really disappointed.
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book really made me think about different situations in society and in my life. Excellent story. Some parts are disturbing, however, overall, a wonderful read. The imagery and characterization is great. I was drawn into this book very quickly and did not want to put it down. This is the kind of book you will find yourself thinking about weeks after you have finished reading it. It is one you will want to tell other people about it and discuss it with others, too.
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
this is a wonderful book, in my top ten favorites.
Kimberly
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
I love her writing! I enjoyed this book and found it to be an easy read. What a little gem!
Janis K. (
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Excellent read! Told from the perspective of Lily, a fourteen year old girl, "The Secret Life of Bees" raises the subject of racism in the South in the early days of the civil rights movement. Lily reminds all of us of how the world should be viewed when we're not tainted by the society...I also have a deeper and better understanding about bees and how they can sometime relate to human life.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved this book... a fantastic coming of age story.
Melody P. (
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Loved this book! It's all about loyalty, and learning about oneself. I loved how it crossed racial lines without being preachy.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
I've heard some people call it a literature break through. I don't think that's entirely accurate, but it is a very good read.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
The tale of one motherless daughter's discovery of what family really means - and of the strange and wondrous places we find love.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Living on a peach farm in South Carolina with her harsh, unyielding father, Lily Owens has shaped her entire life around one devastating, blurred memory--the afternoon her mother was killed, when Lily was four. Since then, her only real companion has been the fierce-hearted, and sometimes just fierce, black woman Rosaleen, who acts as her “stand-in mother.”
When Rosaleen insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily knows it's time to spring them both free. They take off in the only direction Lily can think of, toward a town called Tiburon, South Carolina--a name she found on the back of a picture amid the few possessions left by her mother.
There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters named May, June, and August. Lily thinks of them as the calendar sisters and enters their mesmerizing secret world of bees and honey, and of the Black Madonna who presides over this household of strong, wise women. Maternal loss and betrayal, guilt and forgiveness entwine in a story that leads Lily to the single thing her heart longs for most.
The Secret Life of Bees has a rare wisdom about life--about mothers and daughters and the women in our lives who become our true mothers. A remarkable story about the divine power of women and the transforming power of love, this is a stunning debut whose rich, assured, irresistible voice gathers us up and doesn't let go, not for a moment. It is the kind of novel that women share with each other and that mothers will hand down to their daughters for years to come.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
This was an excellent book! Read it in 2 days - I just couldn't lay it down. And if I did, I was thinking about it all the time. I haven't read a book this good in a long, long time. Very refreshing and insightful. Sue Monk Kidd put together a great story, one that taught me a few lessons and made me look at my life in a new light.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Young girl finds solace with three sisters and housekeeper who helps her make sense out of a tragic event in her past and the confusion and turmoil she carries in her soul because of it.
I fought with myself over the past year about buying this book and couldn't fathom the popularity of it. In fact I was a bit put out after reading the back cover and thinking, "Oh another one of those type of stories...no thanks." If it wasn't for this site, I would not have bothered. But after page three I was hooked. This was a wonderful, wonderful book. The connection you feel between the girl and the women are one of the heart and soul, truly experienced in every word read. The characters are solid and complex, the plot heartbreaking and rewarding. This is a must read.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
One of at least my top ten best books. A definite page turner and I didn't want to put it down even to sleep. I can see why it has been on the best seller list for about 2 yrs.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
The Secret Life of Bees is a delightful story of love and friendship set in the segregated south of the ’60s, filled with the joys and sorrows of those days. It was a captivating read. I enjoyed the tender relationships Kidd developed, and the way she wove the world of beekeeping into the story line. The overt feminism message was over the top for me, but it was still a great read.
Brandon J. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Highly emotional. Hilarious. Moving. Spiritual. All these words describe the debut novel from writer Sue Monk Kidd, "The Secret Life of Bees". Set in the early 60s in South Carolina, the book explores themes of racism, motherlessness, feminine divinity, and growing up. The protagonist, Lily Owens, is a deeply saddened 14-year-old with an emotionally (and occasionally physically) abusive father, who is searching for a mother figure she never knew. Her journey with her black housekeeper, Rosaleen, takes them to the Pepto-Bismol-colored house of the black Boatwright sisters, beekeepers and cultured women who help Lily awaken her true self and discover the mother figures surrounding her. 100% recommended, one of my favorite books (and the movie is incredible, too)!
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I picked up this book on the recommendation of a friend, and I was pleasantly surprised! I fell into the world of the civil rights movement, the south and a little girl who had lost her mother far too young, and had so many questions about everything that it was no wonder she had to go elsewhere to find some answers. The imagery in this book is so rich, I could almost feel the water of the creek, hear the songs and taste the honey.
I'm not going to say anything further because I don't want to give away any secrets, but suffice it to say that if you love to lose yourself in a book, this is the one for you.
Paige
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Yet another wonderful pro female (not to mention pro diversity) story. This one was so touching and lovely. Unpredictable, moving and superbly written. One of the best books I have ever read. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Michele R. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Captivating story,took me back to adolesence and held me there throughout the whole story. One of those classics,you read... and never ,ever forget.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Sweet and easily written book about some harsh and wonderful subjects. Easy to get into and finish quickly.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wow, I couldn't put this one down. Very thought provoking and symbolic. Definitely looks at women and their roles in life, in nature, and spirituality.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
An amazing read! This reinforces the unity of women no matter what their color. The story revolves around the courage and strength of a motherless little girl being left with a heartless, bitter father with only the love of a colored hired hand turned housekeeper to sustain her need of being loved and wanted. Until while on the run from the law after saving the housekeeper from racists that would surely kill her in jail, she finds not only her mother's heartbreaking past and refuge but her own. Very mesmerizing, totally engrossing....an excellent reading experience!
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Awesome Book! Loved it!
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Fast Read, great for a summer book list.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved this book. I read it with my book club. Many different thought provoking characters and themes. Also has questions for discussions at the end as well as an interview with the author
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
One of the best books I have read. The characters are a perfect mix of everyone you have known and everyone you wish they could be. A rich and vivid story missing the complications of profanity, nudity or violence. I say missing facetiously. It wasn't until days after finishing the book did I realize it was void of what so many books/movies find essential. This story stands on it's own.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book is rich in symbolism as character, Lily searches for the truth about her memory of her mother's death. A wonderful story about the strength of women.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This one of my all time favorite stories. I love the characters. I both laughed and cried. Some of my favorite quotes come from this book.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is an excellent book on many levels. This author was brilliant in her ability to present her story from the point of view of the adolescent struggling with the crises of her life, and yet seeing her struggle from the perspective of the adult who has overcome them. The people who really matter in our lives may play no role in our birth. Support and help comes from where ever you let it. There are lessons here for all of us. It just depends on what role you happen to play in the beehive.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
The Secret Life of Bees is compelling and well written. You feel like the characters are your friends by the time the book is completed. The only draw back to the book is the interweaving of "female divinity" throughout it's storyline. The degrading of other religious beliefs is unfortunate.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is about a young girl who lives with her distant and abusive father. She believes she is responsible for her mother’s death. She takes a journey with her Negro housekeeper, after the housekeeper has a run-in with some white men and she is arrested. The journey takes them to a beekeeper and her sisters. Enjoyable read!
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wonderful story of a young white girl growing up in a time when blacks had no rights and were fighting for them. She finds that her own family doesn't give her the love and support she needs once her mother dies and ends up finding the love and companionship not only in the black lady who cares for her but in many others who simply take her in as her own. She realizes that all she has heard about the blacks just simply isn't true... and learns that color has no bearing on loving someone. Wonderful story!!!!! And it will make you crave honey too!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is a beautiful story of friendship, love, and family. These women have such a strong bond and love for one another. It is such a moving story. I didn't want the book to end.
Jacque C. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I don't like to give more info than what the cover does, but I really enjoyed this book. I had already read the book 3 times before the movie came out, and read again after seeing the movie! This has been put on the shelf with my classics and all time favorites!
Laura N. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
As soon as I finished reading this book I ordered it on Pay Per View. Both the book and the movie were amazing.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Heart warming and wholesome story about what family really is. Easy to read and believable and enjoyable. Good character development.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved this book! Probably one of the better ones I have read in a while. It was so different than anything I have read before and I love the writing style. It seems like you are in the room watching everything take place. I would definitely read this one again later!
Kristin M. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I smiled and cried along with the main character of this book. As a motherless daughter looking for maternal guidance, this young girl exudes a perseverance that is admirable.
Karen D. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved every bit of this story .I loved learning about the bees and the honey.You couldnt help but love the characters they were all great.I couldnt put the book down read it in two days.I still think about the book today.Some parts of the story were funny and some parts sad.I also think the movie was just as good as the book.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was good but predictable.
Amy R. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Sue Monk Kidd's "The Secret Life of Bees" is a well-written account of a girl, Lily, coming to grips with her turbulent childhood set amidst the backdrop of the civil rights movement and featuring a very black-and-white storyline. I eagerly read each page of the book, trying to figure out how Lily was connected to the colored Boatright family.
I have to say that this book is not predictable. Not all endings or plot twists are happy, but this book is a compelling read. give it a try!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I had read different opinions on this book so I ordered it through the swap. It was an easy book to read and with some recalled memories and coincidences, Lily and Rosaleen escape to South Carolina where her mother had retreated before she was murdered. Arriving there they are taken in by an eccentric black trio as family and learn about bees and their upkeep. It is a story of bonding, extended family love. Very good reading.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I really loved this book, so much so that I rented the movie to watch it. The book was filled with more raw emotion than the movie. But it was also filled with pain, love and redemption.
Written in the first person by a 14 yr old girl named Lily Owens.Set in 1964 in South Carolina, Lily writes about her life which has been shaped by the blurred memory of the day her mother was killed.
Lily's caretaker, the fierce-hearted Roseleen, insults the three worst racists in town and gets beaten and jailed, Lily sets them both free and they escape to Tiburon, South Carolina- a town that holds the secret to her mother's past.
Taken in by three eccentric, educated, beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced into the mesmerizing world of bees, honey and the Black Madonna.
This is a story about divine female power and love. A worthy read and worthy to hand down to your daughter. I am.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I had seen this book at Barnes & Noble on the popular books table and have always passed it up. Finally had the chance to grab it on the swap and am so glad I did. I have not enjoyed a book this much in many, many years. It truly transported me in time and place each and every time I picked it up. Can't recommend it enough!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I'm still not sure what all the hype is about. I thought the book was good in demonstrating the maternal bond that can form between a child and other women not-related to that child but that love(s) the child just as much as a mother should. I enjoyed the emphasis that this bond can be fordged no matter the color of skin or economic background, but...I still found the book to be a little slow paced for my liking. I actually had to order it on audio CD because I knew I'd never take the time to finish reading it, it just wasn't motivating enough for me to say "Where'd I put my book down I think I'll read."
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A beautiful book
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I didn't see the movie, and I'm glad. This book is a perfect summer read! it really makes you feel like you're in the south. I loved it.
Katie W. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book is easy to read, great plot, and compelling characters! Great book! Must read.
Karen W. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Loved this book from start to finish! A very sweet story of a young girl in the South in 1964 searching for motherly love and finding it amongst other women. This book was really touching and wonderful! A story I won't soon forget.
Susan (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
For me, this is the perfect beach read - in fact, I read it on my honeymoon. It's not too complex and doesn't require a whole lot of thought, but at the same time, it's well-written, has engaging characters, and an interesting enough plot that it's a page-turner. You definitely get attached to many of the characters. I would never vote this into the pantheon of literary classics, but at the same time, it's not just bubblegum, either. A very satisfying read. It's the kind of book that I like to leave behind on the beach when I'm done, so someone else can enjoy it, since I'll never have any need to read it again.
Krista C. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I just finished reading this book, and Sue Monk Kidd once again held me enthralled to the last page. The story of Lily, Roasaleen, and the Boatwright sisters was extremely compelling. The language Kidd used to tell this story was luminous.
I loved her word pictures. The turn of a phrase caught me so off guard once in awhile that I just had to stop and re-read it. Kidd doesn't resort to cliched sayings. I enjoyed learning more about bee keeping. Kidd weaves stories and legends of bees with apiary facts thoughout the book. I also gained a better understanding about life in a small corner of South Carolina just as the Civil Rights movement was gaining ground in 1964.
Now if Kidd would only follow this book up with a sequel. I want to know how things turned out with Zach and Lily!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Loved this book. In the vein of "To Kill a Mockingbird", deals with racism in the south and how some families forged bonds despite the color barriers of the time. Recommend reading book before seeing the movie.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I was very surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. It was a very easy flowing read.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Something rich and different. Colorful characters & writing...the kind of book that takes you away for awhile. Saw the movie & it was exactly how I pictured the book, which is so rare. A favorite.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I really enjoyed this book! I definitely recommend it.
Melody B. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is one of those very very rare books that I believe can actually work as a movie. I haven't seen the movie, but the writing is so vivid you can absolutely see everything in your head. It is a beautiful and somewhat odd story that will move you in ways you wouldn't expect. There are things in this story I certainly never thought I would care about and yet they really had an impact. I cannot think of any group of readers who would not really enjoy this book.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I thought this book was amazing. All of the characters are so well thought out and portrayed. I feel most people could relate on some level to the characters and the story of this book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys books about people and their struggle for finding their place in this world.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I enjoyed the book...but I really loved the movie!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Practically perfect in every way. I never met a person who didn't read this book and love it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is a wonderful story that will make you laugh and make you cry. Although the bee ladies were a bit eccentric, I found it hard to put this book down. I highly recommend it.
CHERYL M. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This was a good book, better than your average read. I was looking forward to the author's next book but then heard that it wasn't very good so I haven't read it yet. This is definitely worth reading before you see the movie.
Brandy B. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I asbolutely loved this book. It hooked me from day 1 and I finished it in two sittings. It's about a white girl who runs away from home to escape her abusive father. She breaks her Nanny out of jail and sets out on a journey to find people who may have knew her mom. She ends up at a house of 3 black women. There are a few sus-stories in there regarding the women at the house. But this is one awesome read. I highly recommend it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Of the hundreds, maybe thousands, of books I've read 'The Secret Life of Bees' is my absolute favorite.
Enough said.
Michelle J. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This was a wonderful book about family. The kind of family you find in some of the most unexpected of places. And love that rises above the cultural boundries we've set for ourselves.
Kristie O. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is such a great book for not only teens but adults! It is not only an easy read but hard to put down! I really enjoyed all the tid-bits about bees themselves. I highly recommend this book for all to read.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Really bad thing happens to child, things go from bad to worse, warm and poignant scenes mixed in, some semblance of resolution by the end. Typical bestseller writing.
Really, it's not a bad book. Good characters, great lines, laugh out loud stuff, beautiful interweaving of nature here and there, and the warmth, like I said. It's just that it was exactly what I expected. I still enjoyed it enough to read to the end, but not enough to keep.
For real facts in the summary, this is about a teen girl growing up in 1960s south, facing racism and life without a mother and finding her way among the women of her life.
For those wanting to avoid it, fair amount of swearing.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book had several places that made me cry. Excellent story!!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I absolutely loved this book. It made me both laugh and cry. It was one of those books that you cant wait to see how it turns out but when it does actually end, your sorry that it has.
Kimberly R. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was really deep. It drew me in from the very beginning and held me. I had papers due and children to care for and I kept coming back to this book! It is the tale of a 14 year white girl, but it is also the tale of the women who helped her and lifted her up and brought her to a better place in her life.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I read it cover to cover in one day. This is a very good book, moments of laughter followed by teary eyes.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This was a wonderful book! Set in 1964 during the Civil Rights, Lily Owens is a young girl struggling to find herself. She lost her mother at a young age and her father turned into a cold, heartless man. After her stand-in mother, a black woman named Rosaleen, is arrested and beaten, Lily breaks her out of the hospital and they run away together. Lily and Rosaleen find there way to 3 black women who take them in. Once there, Lily is finally able to put the pieces of her life together with the help of these wonderful women. The book takes you through the racist times and how these women and one girl find love inside themselves. It's truly a heartwarming story. I would highly recommend this book.
(
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I didn't think I would like it at all... but my mother gave it to me, so I gave it a try. I took it on a business trip on and was engaged enough after meetings all day to stay up late and finish. I have not seen the movie to be able to compare.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Loved it! Wasn't sure at first, but you become part of the story... excellent!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
There are a few books that I can name that have had such an impact on me that I would remember the story so vividly long after the book was finished. "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" is one of them, and has long been a favorite, as well as the author, Maya Angelou.
The Secret Life of Bees has now been added to that short list.
This story about a young southern teenage girl, born of love, but raised in turmoil, and her coming of age during the civil unrest of 1964 when black Americans were finally given the right to vote. Finding herself a runaway with her black housekeeper/nanny in tow, she sets out on a journey to "find" the mother who died when she was four, and finds so much more.
This book will make you laugh, will make you angry, will make you hurt, and will definitely make you cry, but most of all it will make you wish it didn't end.
This will definitely become a favorite on my bookshelf.
Rachel T. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is the first book I have read in a while. My sister was going to read it, so I bought a copy and we read it together (nice way to stay connected over long distance!). Overall, the book was an easy read, however it kept me interested. The book didn't really slow down until the end, and even then I didn't realy think it slowed down that much. I always wanted to know what was going to happen next! Its a book about a teen who runs away from home in search for answers about her mother. What she learns alomg the way can be applied to anyone's life. I thought the little quotes at the begining of each chapter were neat. I used them to try and figure out what might happen within that chapter. I would HIGHLY reccomend this book!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I highly recommend listening to this book via audio. The reader, a young girl is fabulous. I regret I can't remember her name. Excellent book. I was however disappointed with her next release, The Mermaid Chair.
Emily S. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is an absolutely amazing read. You'll instantly be transported back to the rural south in the 60s, where you'll experience love, friendship, and beekeeping. One of the best books I've read all year.
Jenny B. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved this book from beginning to end!
You will fall in love with Lily Owens and her adventures at the pink house. Wait until you meet the sisters! (May, June and August) They are hilarious! This book is set in the south back when "black" and "whites" did not mix. So you get a small history lesson as you go. Not to mention all you learn about the bees.
This is a great book if you are a sister, mother, or a daughter.
I would rate this as one of my all time favorite books and consider it one of the all time classics.
The Secret Life of Bees is coming to the Big Screen 2008!!! So be sure to read the book!
(sorry I don't have the book to list, it was from the library!)
Leah S. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This was such a fantastic story. Sue Monk Kidd is so descriptive of her characters that she makes them relatable. Although I do not share their time, ethnic background, family dynamic - I was able to relate to them through her writing. Her characters just come to life immediately in her writing style!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
"Send love to the bees". This is a line from the book that I use in my own life when I run across one. Of course the relationships in this novel are just as important as the bees, but that line had a profound effect on me. I loved this book and think you will enjoy it too.
Joyce C. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Loved it. I am primarily a fan of thrillers and mysteries and didn't expect to love this story.. but I did. Racial issues and poor parenting didn't dampen the spirit of the women united as bees in a hive. Looking forward to the October release of this story adapted for the screen with both Dakota Fanning and Jennifer Hudson taking the lead characters. I couldn't wait to crack this book open as I plowed through each chapter to cheer for the Queen Bee and her new family.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I found this story very compassinate . ienjoyed reading it
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I enjoyed this story of a young girl, Lily, trying to overcome the difficulties in her life in the pre-Civil Rights South. She has to live with the knowledge that she shot her mother and how to deal with a very angry father who takes his anger out on her.
When she breaks her black nanny out of a police guarded hospital room and runs away with her to find out about her mother, her life begins to change for the better and she learns that even though the truth about her mother isn't the fairy tale she has in her head, the real truth helps her to move forward into the truth of her life and who she can be.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A must read for every woman, preferrably in their late teens or early 20s. A spellbinding, can't put it down, book.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is one of the best books that came out in its publication year, in my opinion. An excellent story of love and friendship among women, and especially bonding and giving freely of oneself to another who is in need.
I've recommended this book to so many people and I haven't talked to anyone who hasn't like it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wonderful book. Humor is blended with the harsh realities of racial inequality of 40 years ago, and the characters are people you wish you could really know. Terrific, terrific book.
Shanna V. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
The secret life of bees is a well written book, easy story line to follow & a great read. Lily's mother died in an accident when she was 4. Her father was cruel. She had a "colored" woman (1960's era) for a nanny named Rosaleen. Rosaleen wants to vote President Johnson signs the Civil Right's Act. But Rosaleen has to know how to spell her name properly before she can get a voter's card. Rosaleen & Lily walk to town. Take a rest at a white church where Rosaleen finds a couple of hand held fans that she grabs before walking on. At the outskirts of town Rosaleen spits tobacco on the feet of three prominant white men, because they were making fun of her. She gets beaten, then arrested & beaten again. Lily's father was called to come get her, which he did. But, he did not get Rosaleen. Lily busts Rosaleen out of the hospital (where she is still under arrest), and the race is on. They find themselves in a bee farm in a small town in south carolina. Lily is in search of her dead mother's past life. Will she find it? At the Bee Farm?
This is a good read. 5 star book.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I'll be the oddball out and admit that I didn't really get into this book. I forced myself to finish reading it, but in my opinion, it was only ok.
Kimberly W. - TX reviewed on 3/3/2008...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A wonderful read! The connection that grows between Lily and the sisters is amazing - a goal for all mothers/daughters. I would recommend this one to everyone.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I have wanted to read this book for some time since there has been a lot of hype about it. I guess that is why I was a little disappointed. It is good - but not incredible like I expected. Read it as an interesting story - not a life changing book.
LYNN K. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This was one of the best books that I have ever read. I highly recommend it. A young girl leaves her father behind to learn about her mother's past and makes some special friends in the process.
Megan (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Taking place during the civil rights movement, this is the story of a little girl who runs away from a sad home to find herself smack dab in the arms of three older ladies full of life and flavor. I thought this book was cute, easy-reading, and recommend it: 4/5. Everyone should give this shorter book a try.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Amazing. I could not put this book down - and I cried through most of it. It draws you in to the characteers right away and is just a completely compelling story.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
"Set in South Carolina in 1964, this book tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was kiloled. When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand'in mother", Rosaleen, insluts 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 sisters, etc."
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Fast read and enjoyable! I wished the book was longer and more detailed!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Another good read from my book club. My take on it is that's it is about fate leading you from a place of complete unwelcome to exactly where you have always belonged and been loved.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Ok read, but not really my cup of tea. I read it because a friend sent it to me and everyone I know loved it. Guess I'm not "everyone" :).
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
"The tale of one motherless daughter's discovery of what family means and of the strange and wondrous places we find love." The Washington Post
Set in South Carolina in 1964,.. when Lily's black "stand-in mother" insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free.
Great read.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved this book. It's probably one of my favorites.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wonderful story of youth, civil rights, and coming into one's own.
T. reviewed on 3/27/2007...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A wonderful descent into the Divine Feminine--more than just a plot and a bunch of characters...it will touch you. The adventures of Lily Owens--a young girl who escapes her abusive father to find love with a group of sisters.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Excellent, fast read.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Set in South Carolina in 1964. Isolated on a SC peach farm with a neglectful and abusive father, 14 year old Lilly Ownes has spent much of her life longing for her mother, Deborah, who died amid mysteriuos circumstances when Lily was 4. This is a story of love, conviction and forgiveness. I thought it was a good book, a must read for anyone unfamiliar with the Civil Rights era.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
The story of Lily Owens whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's black "stank-in-mother" Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tibuon, South Carolina- a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to theri mesmerizing world of bees and honey and thier Black Madonna.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Great story set in S. Carolina in '64. Tells of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory for the afternoon her mother was killed. Great novel, inspiring, moving, well written.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wonderful novel about a young lady coming of age. If you love Southern novels with a true reflection of the culture that the South embraces, you'll love this one!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This story is about a young girl in South Carolina in 1964. Her mother was killed and she is more or less raised by her black 'stand-in mother'. When the girl and her caretaker are forced to flee town they are taken in by a trio of black beekeeping sisters who reside in the town that holds the secret to her mother's past.
David & Kathy W. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wonderful story, wonderful characters - a joy to read.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved this book because of the touching way it explores the idea of motherhood and how to repair the void that poor or absent mothering leaves. Kidd's probing of the issue is light as a feather and profound as a thunder clap.
Meanwhile, it's good, engrossing storytelling.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
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 her fierce-hearted black "stand-in-mother" insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to the town that holds the secret to her mother's past.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
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 pastl. Taken in my an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, 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.
Bonnie C. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
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" insults 3 of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them free. They escape to S.C. where the secret to her mother's past lies.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
South Carolina 1964, Teenaged white girl Lily finds herself and her older black housekeeper victims of the raciest south, and must escape to save themselves. They find more that safety when the settle in with a family of beekeepers.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A great story about a girl trying to remember past and finding her future. A wonderful novel and full of love and inspiration for all women.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved this book. It's a great book-group read, because there's so much to talk about (religion, racial issues, male-female relations, growing up, etc). I recommend it!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Really interesting story, I enjoyed it very much. The main character has quite a lot of spunk and goes through quite an emotional journey. Glad I read this one.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Aamazing. I'm man enough to admit I actually got teary-eyed at one
part. Absolutely stunning.
Jessie M. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
fantastic!
Jessica W. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
In Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, 14-year-old Lily Owen, neglected by her father and isolated on their Georgia peach farm, spends hours imagining a blissful infancy when she was loved and nurtured by her mother, Deborah, whom she barely remembers. These consoling fantasies are her heart's answer to the family story that as a child, in unclear circumstances, Lily accidentally shot and killed her mother...
Kate L. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I thought this was an interesting novel that examined a mother/daughter relationship. However, I don't think it deserves all the hype.
Janey H. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved this book! The Secret Life of Bees is set in South Carolina during the struggle for Equal Rights, and tells the story of Lily Owens whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. Her mean father T. Ray tells Lily that she killed her mother. Her fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother" Rosaleen insults 3 of the deepest racists in town when she goes in to register taking Lily with her. Lily sees Rosaleen beaten and thrown in jail and hides until she can spring Rosaleen and they can run away to Tiburon, South Carolina - the town that holds the secret to her mother's past. A wonderful book.
Paula M. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
AWESOME!!!!!! Couldn't put it down!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
In Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, 14-year-old Lily Owen, neglected by her father and isolated on their Georgia peach farm, spends hours imagining a blissful infancy when she was loved and nurtured by her mother, Deborah, whom she barely remembers. These consoling fantasies are her heart's answer to the family story that as a child, in unclear circumstances, Lily accidentally shot and killed her mother. All Lily has left of Deborah is a strange image of a Black Madonna, with the words "Tiburon, South Carolina" scrawled on the back. The search for a mother, and the need to mother oneself, are crucial elements in this well-written coming-of-age story set in the early 1960s against a background of racial violence and unrest. When Lily's beloved nanny, Rosaleen, manages to insult a group of angry white men on her way to register to vote and has to skip town, Lily takes the opportunity to go with her, fleeing to the only place she can think of--Tiburon, South Carolina--determined to find out more about her dead mother. Although the plot threads are too neatly trimmed, The Secret Life of Bees is a carefully crafted novel with an inspired depiction of character. The legend of the Black Madonna and the brave, kind, peculiar women who perpetuate Lily's story dominate the second half of the book, placing Kidd's debut novel squarely in the honored tradition of the Southern Gothic.
AMAZON.COM REVIEW
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Set in South Carolina in 1964, 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 sisters. Lisly 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.
Keri E. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I thought this was a wonderful story. I couldn't put it down and finished it in a day. I'm so glad I finally got this out of my TBR pile!
Anna M. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Secret Life of Bees was not only a great attention getter throughout with nice flow, but it beautifully created a setting and a story that touched my heart.
Sherrie F. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
great story.
Marcy M. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I really enjoyed this novel. Not my usual genre, but well worth my time.
Nora S. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
The tale of one motherless daughter's discovery of what family really means - and of the strange and wonderous places we find love.
Set in South Caroline 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 sisters.
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.
"Fully imagined...The core of this story is Lily's search for a mother, and she finds on in a place she never expected"
L. G. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Disappointing. Some really good concepts about Motherhood and race, and pretty good character development. But the premise is contrived and hokey. Other than that, I felt it was extremely over-hyped. I don't think I will read any other books by her.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I first read this book as part of my church's book group. In outlining the coming of age of a young girl in the South as the Civil Rights movement came alive, it offers the bittersweet insight into white Southern families and the African-Americans their lives were so intimately entwined with. This book is a true surprise, and if you enjoyed the "Ya-Ya Sisterhood," I know you will love this book, too.
Bobbie L. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is one of the best books I have ever read!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A very good book. A coming of age story in the American South in 1964. A young girl finds "the power of women coming together to heal, to mother each other and themselves, and to create a sanctuary of true family and home."
Stacey D. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Honey-sweet but never cloying, this debut by nonfiction author Kidd (The Dance of the Dissident Daughter) features a hive's worth of appealing female characters, an offbeat plot and a lovely style. It's 1964, the year of the Civil Rights Act, in Sylvan, S.C. Fourteen-year-old Lily is on the lam with motherly servant Rosaleen, fleeing both Lily's abusive father T. Ray and the police who battered Rosaleen for defending her new right to vote. Lily is also fleeing memories, particularly her jumbled recollection of how, as a frightened four-year-old, she accidentally shot and killed her mother during a fight with T. Ray. Among her mother's possessions, Lily finds a picture of a black Virgin Mary with "Tiburon, S.C." on the back so, blindly, she and Rosaleen head there. It turns out that the town is headquarters of Black Madonna Honey, produced by three middle-aged black sisters, August, June and May Boatwright. The "Calendar sisters" take in the fugitives, putting Lily to work in the honey house, where for the first time in years she's happy. But August, clearly the queen bee of the Boatwrights, keeps asking Lily searching questions. Faced with so ideally maternal a figure as August, most girls would babble uncontrollably. But Lily is a budding writer, desperate to connect yet fiercely protective of her secret interior life. Kidd's success at capturing the moody adolescent girl's voice makes her ambivalence comprehensible and charming. And it's deeply satisfying when August teaches Lily to "find the mother in (herself)" a soothing lesson that should charm female readers of all ages. (Jan. 28)Forecast: Blurbs from an impressive lineup of women writers Anita Shreve, Susan Isaacs, Ursula Hegi pitch this book straight at its intended readership. It's hard to say whether confusion with the similarly titled Bee Season will hurt or help sales, but a 10-city author tour should help distinguish Kidd. Film rights have been optioned and foreign rights sold in England and France.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Exceptional book with intriguing images that are hard to forget.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
"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." This is from the back of the book and I couldn't say it any better myself.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
In Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, 14-year-old Lily Owen, neglected by her father and isolated on their Georgia peach farm, spends hours imagining a blissful infancy when she was loved and nurtured by her mother, Deborah, whom she barely remembers. These consoling fantasies are her heart's answer to the family story that as a child, in unclear circumstances, Lily accidentally shot and killed her mother. All Lily has left of Deborah is a strange image of a Black Madonna, with the words "Tiburon, South Carolina" scrawled on the back. The search for a mother, and the need to mother oneself, are crucial elements in this well-written coming-of-age story set in the early 1960s against a background of racial violence and unrest. When Lily's beloved nanny, Rosaleen, manages to insult a group of angry white men on her way to register to vote and has to skip town, Lily takes the opportunity to go with her, fleeing to the only place she can think of--Tiburon, South Carolina--determined to find out more about her dead mother. Although the plot threads are too neatly trimmed, The Secret Life of Bees is a carefully crafted novel with an inspired depiction of character. The legend of the Black Madonna and the brave, kind, peculiar women who perpetuate Lily's story dominate the second half of the book, placing Kidd's debut novel squarely in the honored tradition of the Southern Gothic.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I did not get to read this book. It is a large soft-cover, not a mass market. The book is in great condition.
Summary:
In Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, 14-year-old Lily Owen, neglected by her father and isolated on their Georgia peach farm, spends hours imagining a blissful infancy when she was loved and nurtured by her mother, Deborah, whom she barely remembers. These consoling fantasies are her heart's answer to the family story that as a child, in unclear circumstances, Lily accidentally shot and killed her mother. All Lily has left of Deborah is a strange image of a Black Madonna, with the words "Tiburon, South Carolina" scrawled on the back. The search for a mother, and the need to mother oneself, are crucial elements in this well-written coming-of-age story set in the early 1960s against a background of racial violence and unrest. When Lily's beloved nanny, Rosaleen, manages to insult a group of angry white men on her way to register to vote and has to skip town, Lily takes the opportunity to go with her, fleeing to the only place she can think of--Tiburon, South Carolina--determined to find out more about her dead mother. Although the plot threads are too neatly trimmed, The Secret Life of Bees is a carefully crafted novel with an inspired depiction of character. The legend of the Black Madonna and the brave, kind, peculiar women who perpetuate Lily's story dominate the second half of the book, placing Kidd's debut novel squarely in the honored tradition of the Southern Gothic.
I am surprised how much I loved this - especially for a person who is so scared of bees! That and the fact that a few years ago, this book received a lot of hubbub... I tend to avoid these "pop" books. But I am glad that I did read this one. It reminded me a lot of the beginning parts of _Fried Green Tomatoes_ (the movie more so than the book). I thoroughly enjoyed this! What a pleasant surprise!
Melinda C. (A great, great book. I loved it and was sorry to get to the end. And I loved the movie too.
an easy read.....a story of life and how you deal with and learn from what you are given.
I've read this book a long time ago, but I still remember it fondly. I really enjoyed it! The author has a way of bringing you into the story.
I enjoyed this book. It's an uplifting story - would recommend this.
I really loved this book. It reminds me of To Kill a Mockingbird plot-wise. It is a heart-warming coming-of-age story about understanding where we come from and the discrepancies between the way we remember things as a child and the way things really happen.
Everyone should read this. I loved it and couldn't put it down. The author creates such a clear picture of the life this girl left before and after leaving her abusive father, and the civil rights movement that it makes for really compelling reading. Can't wait to see the movie now...
This is a wonderful book that proves love can overcome differences.
I loved this book and so do several of my friends and family of different ages and backgrounds. I highly recommend it.
An outstanding read -- one of the best ever. This book is a keeper for me, one I will re-read. Entertaining, warm, inspiring and a testament to the power of female solidarity.
Amy H. (I loved this book!
It was actually a book on the recommended summer reading list for my daughter a few years ago. She never read it, but I did. What a warm, wonderful coming of age story. Remembering this book always makes me smile!
Shanan O. (The movie was wondeful and the book is just as wonderful if not better.
Beautiful tale of mother figures found in the least likely places. Love abounds and gives hope and comfort where it is desperately needed.
A great story about family (even if its a family you're not born into).
Elizabeth M. (Excellent novel! Couldn't put it down, read it in less than two days. Very well written, kept me in suspense.
i really love this book. it makes you laugh and cry almost at the same time. i cant wait to see the movie.
Memorable book - characters, story - all sweet. Enjoyable read.
Enjoyed the book, an in depth novel about women's lives, both relational and emotional. Liked the emphasis of sisterhood, regardless of race and support for everyone. Importance of family whether birth family or created by circumstance, relationships is emphasized throughout. Stayed with this book could'nt put it down.
Written in dialect only provided more charm in the telling.
this was a really engaging book. I could visualize it happening as I was reading and it kept my attention. Excellent !
This book kept me interested the entire way through! I was worried I wouldn't like it but I ended up loving it!
Wonderful story, full of laughs, she is a great story teller.
Audrey reviewed on 7/13/2009...An easy-read with a good message for women
What an awesome book! Just as terrific movie! I love the main character Lilly, so heartfelt. Wonderful sorry about a teenager and her search for information about her mother. Set in the summer of 1964, Lilly shows how we can be loved regardless of race. Also interesting to learn about beekeeping. I would recommend this book to all.
I had read some of Sue Monk Kidd's other books and wasn't that impressed, but I definitely changed my mind about her after I read the Secret Life of Bees. It's a beautiful, heartwarming, and also sad story, but still a great one!
Great read with compelling characters...will read again!
a girl finds the secret of her family's past. well-written (delightful, even) and i was a little surprised that i liked it - the writing is not of the usual genre that i read.
I loved this book, it was a really easy read. Everyone should read this book! One of my favorites!
Donna G. (Book was great. Su Monk Kidd has a knack for telling a story.
William B. (It was a joy to read, how a person can come up with the dialogue that is in this book amazes me.
I am so glad that I read this book before renting the movie. I liked both, but I learned so much more about bees from the book and the building of the characters was great. I do not know if I would have cast all the characters in the movie. I thought they were much older than the actors.
Great book. Haven't seen the movie yet, but it's on my list of things to do.
Mary W. I read this with my high school English class, they enjoyed it.
Jeanette R. (My aunt Janet told me Id love this book. When I bought it the lady at the bookstore said it was her favorite. I really understand why.
I wanted to read this before I saw the movie (just a rule i try to stick by) and im so glad i did. this was a great book- from start to end.
i dont want to go into too much detail and give the plot away, but the characters were great. it really made me want to be with my ma and sisters.
i loved the story- Lily, a young white girl in south carolina who's mother has passed and who's father is a dick runs away because of somehting that happens and finds herself in the home of three black sisters, one who is a beekeeper.
The book is a coming of age story and it kind of reminded me of How to Make an American Quilt. Strong women helping to make young girls find their way to becoming strong women.
READ IT!!!
Ashley B. (This is a great book about the strength of women. The main character is a young girl, Lily, who stands up for herself time and time again. I'm so glad I finally read this book!
I thought this book was pretty good, nothing spectacular, but it was worth reading.
Ellen M. reviewed on 11/7/2008...What a great story. I loved the historic backdrop of the 1960's South to this sweet coming of age story.
I couldn't put it down, I want to read all Sue Monk Kidds books. I loved the way she went from a somber moment to a hilarious discription, such as the drive-thru viewing window of the funeral home. Great reading!
Yvonne 
Sherri S. (
Krista Awesome book...it will be in theaters on October 17th, so i read it in time to see the movie and i can't wait...i read it in less than 2 days. A great story about prejudice, acceptance and love between women..not to mention the quick interesting lesson of BEES!
UPDATE: Saw the movie ***EXCELLENT*** even my boyfriend enjoyed it!!! Great cast!!! Couldn't have hand-picked a better one myself!
I really enjoyed this book. Was a little hard to get into in the first chapters but stick with it cause it truely is a wonderful story.
Sweet book. Great stir of emotions.....You can not help thinking that you are right there!
This book reminded me a bit of 'To kill a mockingbird', but it is a much easier and simple read. Nicely written and some hillarious observations by the lead character.
My whole family loved this book. You never know in life where you will find love.
Beautiful "girlfriend" book about the relationship between a young girl looking for a mother, and the women who once helped raise her deceased mother. Also, fascinating look at the relationship between African-Americans and whites in the 60's.
Lori O. (follow one young girls journey to discover her mother and herself
Jessie G. (Too Cute. Such a sweet book, loved every page from beginning to the end.
I loved this book. Lily's reactions to her tough and somewhat sad life are uplifting and full of spirit. The setting in the south during the tumultuous early 1960's and the facts about bees are interesting and informative. This was a book that I just couldn't put down until I had finished it.
Judy C. (Wonderful book - this was a fast read that had very interesting and lovable characters. Definately a must-read.
A. J. C. (This book is a great read. Heartwarming, heartrending and wonderful. A bit of odd character invented theology. This particular book has been well read but is in good shape for another several reads!!
Carolyn A. (Quite a lovely story about a young girl and how she interacts with her father after her mother's death when she was 4 yrs old. Set in the early stages of the civil rights movements she learns that love conquers all colors. A wonderful read
I really enjoyed the book. I wanted to read more. It is based in the 60's which appeals to me.
Laurie S. (This is a well told slice of life story set in the 1960's that deals with the racial tensions of the time and warmly portrays some very eccentric characters. Fourteen year old Lily tragically lost her mother when she was just a toddler and that moment has haunted her throughout her young life. She has been raised by her mean to the core father and a black woman named Rosaleen whom her father plucked from the peach farm to become her stand in mother. Strong willed Rosaleen causes a stir when she attempts to register to vote and ends up getting herself thrown in jail. Lily, desperate to save her, concocts a plan to spring her from jail. They escape their town and end up in Tiburon where Lily believes the truth about her mother will be found because left among her mother's things was a picture of the Black Madonna with only "Tiburon" written on the backside. They are taken in by a kindly trio of quirky sisters who raise bees and whose logo happens to be the Black Madonna. There Lily finds a home, acceptance, forgiveness and love.
During the early 1960s, a white 14 year old girl and her black nanny ran away from her mean father and found themselves living with three black sisters, one of whom was a nanny to the girl's mother. Blacks and whites living together was not a very acceptable thing to do then but the girl found love with these women that she never knew before. Her mother died when she was four.
This has to be one of the very best books I've ever read! I was so sad to see it end! Watch for the movie in the near future - Alicia Keys is going to be in it!
Terri E. (One of my all time favorite books! Ms. Kidd's writing style is magical. I couldn't put this book down and I often find myself rereading some of the lines from the story. This is a book I won't part with and one you will fall in love with! A story of hope and of the ties that bind us. This is a must read! (My writing instructor found this book to be slow, but honestly, I thought it was lyrical.) I even enjoyed learning all about bees. Enjoy!
I truly enjoyed this book. I loved the way the writer told her tale.. and how the truth comes out at the end. Was sorry to see the story end, I could have read another 300 pages of the Characters life.
This was a required read for a literature course, however I really enjoyed the book far more than I could have imagined. Great themes, a really good read for teenage girls.
This was an awesome book! Couldn't put it down! Very heartwarming story!
Sue E. (I read this book at my mother's request. I found it to be an enjoyable book...when motherless daughters figure out what makes a family.
I love, love, LOVE this book! One of my favorites this year!!
Ellie (This is a good book. It's set in the early 60's against a backdrop of civil rights, and a young girl's search for information on a mother she barely knew. The characters are the best part of the book. I loved the "month sisters" May, June, and August.
The ending left me feeling a little gypped, but all in all it was a satisfying read.
Sharon C. (I just loved this book!
I have read reviews that felt the story was something meant to be shown on the Hallmark or Lifetime Channels, but so what?
Still was a very entertaining book.
Loved the characters.
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. The core of this story is Lily's search for a mother, and she finds one in a place she never expected. from the back
This was a good read-It portrays "real life" & racism during the civil rights movement. It shows love,unity of the women..and the strength of a young white girl that turns to her nanny. The strength, warmth and love of the black nanny and family warms your heart. It tells it like it was in the south, the rascism and cruelty. and shows the nannys and other black womens strength and character. Good life lessons in this book.
I kept this to read again.
This is a beautiful yet sad book. The storyline is suspenseful and engaging.
A captivating story of the strength of the human spirit and the ties of women.
Good book. Refreshingly different from the traditional coming-of-age book. Also shows womens' inner strength.
Bettina S. (I read this book in one day, what a touching, soulful story. I highly recommend it!
Amy M. (Very good book! Touching and I hope there is a sequel to this book!
Peggy L. (Has a dreamy feel to it, like a long Southern summer (the setting of the book!). A bit too slow paced for me, though.
Pamela H. (
Bonnie (I loved this book! Fabulous characters... I was pulling for them the whole way... highly reccomend.
It took me a while to get into this one, but I kept going because I read it for a book group. In the end I was glad I had read it, not because I enjoyed it a lot but because it made me think.
One of the absolute best books i have read in the past few years. Lily's life with a family of strong african-american women is compelling.
***** I absolutely loved this book. I'm ready to pass it on to another reader. Enjoy!
Stephanie H. (Both my daughter and I really enjoyed this book.
Wonderful book about the human spirit and finding a mother's love where you least expect it. The writing is absolutely poetic.
Sue Monk Kidd has written an enchanting, almost magical novel with The Secret Life of Bees. Inspiring, with powerful archetypes for women. Not your ordinary "chick lit", this one has brains, soul & a dash of Southern mysticism.
SALLY W. (Wonderful, redemptive story. A multi-faceted tale that can be read on so many levels. Very enjoyable read.
This is an amazing book about the wonder of female power when a young girl is taken in by three black beekeeping sisters. Mesmerizing.
Surprisingly good. I really didn’t know what to expect with this book and it was so interesting. I had a hard time putting it down. I am even now interested in reading The Mermaid Chair by the same author just because this book was so good.
Lynne J. (This book lived up to the hype. It was a wonderful coming of age story.
Wonderful, wonderful, different book -- heart warming, tragic, sad, funny, -- women taking care of women and understanding one another despite cultural differences.
Loved this book and the South Carolina setting. A fun read, in which I learned about the glorious work of bees, amidst the backdrop of the South in 1964.
A young girl's search for a mother and the strange place she finds the love she craves.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but members of my book group thought some of the story line a little implausible.
Chick-Lit book about beekeeping in the South. The title kind of gives it away.
This was one of the best books I've read in a long time. Unlike many books that generate a "buzz" (no pun intended!), this one lived up to the promise. A feel-good book similiar in feeling to "Fried Green Tomatoes" (book) or "The Man in the Moon" (movie)
I really enjoyed this book. It is a great read. I shared it with my mom, after. She had the same reaction.
I liked this book. We read this in our book club and all enjoyed it.
Great story that will stay with you after you've passed the book on.
A deep well of a book, lovely imagery and words laid down in such a way as to touch your heart and mind
Wonderful book. would highly recommend it.
A most excellent book - wonderfully written, engrossing. Beautiful and tragic and sad and exalting all at the same time. Highly recommended!
Love, love, love this book. Almost hate to trade it, but I've already read it twice. Short read, too. Great for a sunny summer day.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, very colorful and likeable characters
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.
A Quote from the book that I love:
We walked to the woods beside the pink house…
"There is one thing I don't get," I said.
"What's that?"
"How come if your favorite color is blue, you painted your house so pink?"
She laughed. "That was May's doing. She was with me the day I went to the paint store to pick out the color. I had a nice tan color in mind, but May latched on to this sample called Caribbean Pink. She said it made her feel like dancing a Spanish flamenco. I thought, "Well this is the tackiest color I've ever seen, and we'll have half the town talking about us, but if it can lift May's heart like that, I guess she ought to live inside it."
"All this time I just figured you liked pink," I said.
She laughed again. "You know, some things don't matter that much, Lily. Like the color of a house. How big is that in the overall scheme of life? But lifting a person's heart-now, that matters. The whole problem with people is-"
"They don't know what matters and what doesn't," I said, filling in her sentence and feeling proud of myself for doing so.
"I was gonna say, The problem is they know what matters, but they don't choose it. You know how hard that is Lily? I love May, but it was still so hard to choose Caribbean Pink. The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters.
--excerpt from "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
One of my very favorites, a sweet and beautiful tale of family and love. Super quick read, but one you might read again and again.
Cathy V. (I really enjoyed this book. Reminds me of those classics you read in school.
This is such a lovely and compelling book...I was captivated and transported
Great book - blending the lives of young and old, black and white, rich and poor.
The suject matter (racism) is too heavy for me right now. There is a lot of cursing in the book.
Noemi M. (I thought the story was a unique one and I appreciated its value because of that.
This is the story of a young girl seeking her mother's past who is given a home and family by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters.
great book, loved it. read it for our book club and we all enjoyed it!
Kelly C. (Great book. Unlike anything I've read this year. Looking forward to reading the Mermaid Chair.
Fourteen-year-old Lily Owens has only a blurred memory of her mother, as she is growing up in Sylvan, South Carolina, with her daddy, T. Ray, and Rosaleen, her black "stand-in mother". It's the Sixties, and when self-respecting Rosaleen has a run-in with three of the biggest racists in town, Lily takes up her cause and engineers Rosaleen's escape, and her own. The two run away to the town written on the back of a mysterious photo that Lily feels holds the secret to her mother's past. They become members of the household of an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters. Lily learns about beekeeping, the Black Madonna, and the secret of her mother's past, and at last is able to reconcile with her 'unloving' father, and to move confidently into young womanhood.
This is the book I most often recommend to people. Such a rich, sweet and lovely world that Kidd creates. You want to crawl in the book and stay for awhile.
Amazon.com
In Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, 14-year-old Lily Owen, neglected by her father and isolated on their Georgia peach farm, spends hours imagining a blissful infancy when she was loved and nurtured by her mother, Deborah, whom she barely remembers. These consoling fantasies are her heart's answer to the family story that as a child, in unclear circumstances, Lily accidentally shot and killed her mother. All Lily has left of Deborah is a strange image of a Black Madonna, with the words "Tiburon, South Carolina" scrawled on the back. The search for a mother, and the need to mother oneself, are crucial elements in this well-written coming-of-age story set in the early 1960s against a background of racial violence and unrest. When Lily's beloved nanny, Rosaleen, manages to insult a group of angry white men on her way to register to vote and has to skip town, Lily takes the opportunity to go with her, fleeing to the only place she can think of--Tiburon, South Carolina--determined to find out more about her dead mother. Although the plot threads are too neatly trimmed, The Secret Life of Bees is a carefully crafted novel with an inspired depiction of character. The legend of the Black Madonna and the brave, kind, peculiar women who perpetuate Lily's story dominate the second half of the book, placing Kidd's debut novel squarely in the honored tradition of the Southern Gothic.
This book is about a little girl whom has seen her Mother killed. She is brought up by Bee keepers and how she finds "A Mother".
Ani K. (
Maureen C. (LOVED it!!! Wonderful characters! Fabulous story! It touches your heart! It was even better than I expected!
This book was wonderful, sad, uplifting, informative, and memorable. Highly recommended!
Debra - Melbourne, FL reviewed on 1/22/2007...EX library book...well worn.....a womens book to share will women...LOL
An amazing, sad, inspiring, heartfelt, astounding story. Read it straight through in one day, couldn't put it down.
I could not put this book down. The personalities of the characters are so vivid. Amazing imagery!
Charming story - easy reading. Great for vacation or just a lazy day at home.
Jessica L. (A very captivating book. Well written & you really fall in love with the characters.
Great book! This book shows you that love and friendship see no color.
A sweet tale that explores a daughter's search to know her deceased mother. Set against a Southern background and race issues of the 1960s and 70s.
What a wonderful story with wonderful characters! And there is a bonus interview with the author in the back - very interesting.
I really enjoyed this book. On back cover - "Set in South Carolina in 1964. tells the story of Lily Owens - whose life is shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her Mother was killed. 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."
THE TALE OF ONE MOTHERLESS DAUGHTER'S DISCOVERY OF WHAT FAMILY REALLY MEANS - AND OF THE STRANGE AND WONDEROUS PLACES WE FIND LOVE.
SET IN S. CAROLINA IN 1964...
This was the best book I have read in a long time. I LOVED it. It was much better than Kidd's other book (I am forgeting the name at the moment).
Read this one before you read MerMaid Chair and see how Sue Monk Kidd is developing and changing as an author.
Beautifully written book. Was a bit slow at times but goes along with the Southern vibe.
April W. (This was such a WONDERFUL book. I've never really read something like this book before but I had heard such good things about it here at PBS so I decided to read it. I'm soooo glad I did!! I think every woman should read this book...
This was a wonderful book. It is a book filled with hope for loving people in the world and sharing that love with others.
Pretty good story. I liked her Swan House book better though. This was a sad story of prejudice and color issues and abuse as well. Kind of crazy in places but good story just the same. The bees made it interesting. Learning about them.
This one took a while for me to get into, but I read the last half in a day. It's a great story, just a little slow moving in parts.
The tale of one motherless daughter's discovery of what family really means and of the strange and wonderous places we find love
Nymphadora T. (Such a good read. A little mystery mixed in with a great coming of age story.
A book about the support of women towards other women. A fast read I couldn't put down.
I really loved this book. It was nothing and everything I thought it would be.
Enjoyable read. I have also read The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd. I look forward to more books by this author.
I loved this book! It shows the power of the mother-daughter relationship!!!!
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By ADAM MAZMANIAN
Published: March 31, 2002
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
By Sue Monk Kidd.
Viking, $24.95.
Poor Lily Owens. She's 14 and still making her own dresses in her home economics class. In the halls, popular girls hush themselves at Lily's approach -- a torment that leads her to scratch phantom itches and chew her fingertips raw. Her mother died 10 years earlier from a gun accident -- one that may have tangentially involved Lily herself -- and Lily's father, a peach farmer named T. Ray, is so cruel that he makes Lily kneel in piles of knee-shredding Martha White grits as punishment for the mildest infractions. Most of Lily's thoughts revolve around fantasies of escaping to (somehow) find her mother alive. Her one clue is a picture of a black Madonna with ''Tiburon, S.C.'' scrawled on the back. She finds a way out when Rosaleen, her black caretaker, is arrested for pouring snuff juice on some white men's shoes -- a jailable offense in Sylvan, S.C. in 1964. Lily and Rosaleen eventually light out for Tiburon, where she finds her Madonna in a woman named August Boatwright, the proprietor of a honey farm that's a harbor of quiet civility. Lily is a wonderfully petulant and self-absorbed adolescent, and Kidd deftly portrays her sense of injustice as it expands to accommodate broader social evils. At the same time, the political aspects of Lily's growth never threaten to overwhelm the personal. The core of this story is Lily's search for a mother, and she finds one in a place she never expected. August and her sisters, June and May, are no mere vehicles for Lily's salvation; they are individuals as fully imagined as the sweltering, kudzu-carpeted landscape that surrounds them. Adam Mazmanian
Carol G. (I loved this book. It was a very good story about a young girl who loses her mother at a young age. A great read.
This was one of the best books I have ever read! I have shared this book with some of my coworkers and they loved it too. I will read this one again!
A lovely book about resolving family relationships and developing self worth. Enjoyed it very much!
Good. I love authors that weave us through nature and connect it to the relationships...similar to the way Kingsglover does...but now as good...
Enjoyable, haunting book. Im looking forward to the next novel by this author. Great condition.
Kristin D. (I absolutely loved this book. It is a warm story that will stay with you.
Kristal L. (Wonderful. Now looking for a hardback edition to add to my library.
A child's search for her mother, set in South Carolina in 1964...a touching story of the power of women, racism and hope.
Surprising book for me to recommend. Yet this book is a charmer, about the awakening of a neglected 14 year old, Lily, to the truth of her mother's death and a revelation about her own value. Fleeing with her African-American nanny to an eccentric home inhabited by three wise sisters, Lily, while working in an apiary (bee house), learns to find the "mother in herself" and ultimately an elusive self acceptance. A "honey" of a literary treasure.
Kathy A. (This book is a wonderful combination of magical words woven together by Sue Monk Kidd to create a love story. This is not romantic love but love for fellow humans, nature, acceptance of differences and self knowlege. If we listen we will learn to forgive others and and ourselves in the pages of this book.
This is the story of a female Huckleberry Finn. Interesting and a quick read.
A wonderful book of sisterhood. This book also goes over the start of the Civil Rights movement in 1964 in the deep south through the eyes of a 14 yr old girl. A very moving book.
One of my favourite books of all time. Couldn't put it down.
A must read book! It was not what I was expecting at all, but it was a beautiful, well written piece.
Excellent book. The story of a young runaway and the woman who takes her in and teaches her about life.
This book has been reviewed many times. I loved this book.
It's a really nice read. I enjoyed it a lot - and it's better than her other, "The Mermaid Chair"
I really enjoyed this book. I had read "The Mermaid Chair" by this author, but I liked this one better. I found myself really caring about the characters.
Ge-Anne B. (I had no idea what an engaging book this would be. I could NOT put it down!
Elaine G. (love,love,love this book! anything written by sue monk kidd
I really enjoyed this story....A good read for any age..
A lovely, haunting book. This girl's story is both unique and universal at the same time. I couldn't put it down.
Tale of one motherless daughter's discovery of what family really means.
This story was amazing and took you through emotion after emotion while telling you a tale that kept your interest from start to finish.
Suzanne B. (
Carolyn F. (This book was a New York Times bestseller, and I see why, I couldn't put it down, but read it from cover to cover in one night!
I read "The Mermaid Chair" first - enjoyed it so much that I went out and got this one.Enjoyed it even more!!!
I can see why this book is so requested. Sue Monk Kidd tells a vivid story of one girl's search for the truth about her mother and in doing so also finds herself.
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 3 of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free.
Loved,loved,loved this book! Everyone in my book club loved it too. I think it's one of Sue Monk Kidd's best books.
A lot of people raved about the beauty of this book, but I guess it just was not my cup of tea.
I could not put this book down! What a wonderful story of finding a home full of love with a special place for a lonely young girl.
Everything the reviews say about this book is true. It is a wonderful story. Loved it!
A wonderful book of a girl growing up and finding the secrets of her mother's and her abusive past. Also it shows the great strength of women supporting each other.
I love ths book. I've read it a few times, then I listened to it on CD and it was even more fabulous. The southern accent of the narator was the icing on the cake. If you get a chance, check it out.
This book came highly recommended. I enjoyed it but it seemed like a typical Oprah book. Lily, a young girl has lost her mother and her father pretty much either ignores her or is abusive. Rosaleen, a black woman who is her nanny, goes to town with Lily to register to vote and gets into trouble by saying more than she should and is arrested. Lily manages to break her out of jail and their adventure begins. There are some good lessons learned here and you get the bonus of learning a lot about bees!
J R. (An interesting and touching story on inter-racial relationships.
Great book!! About a 14 year-old girl who deals with a tragic secret, and an abusive father. When she runs away from home, she finds more than what she was looking for in more ways than one.
Sarah W. (This book takes off with a gunshot, and your hooked. But about 1/3 of the way through, it seems to drop out. I had to force myself to finish it.. very predictable.
Very good novel about a girl leaving home and finding a family to love her.
Rita K. (This book is about a girl's search for a mother, and the people she meets along the way. She learns that families come in different sizes and colors, and don't have to be related by blood. It is heart warming.
This book tells the story of an orphan girl and her black "stand-in" mother. Living in a racist town, there is an incident that drives Lily and Rosaleen from their home. Taken in by three black bee-keeping sisters, Lily learns the business from them. It is a good story and educational about the bees.
A bit sappy, but an engaging read, though it ends up being a bit shallow.
Insightful story about a teenage girl looking for a mothers love and finding much more.
an enjoyable read about a young girl and the women who shape her life
Interesting reading, great story. Didn't really agree with the main point of the book, but still enjoyable!
A warm, wonderful story! Loved it from page 1 to the end!
I enjoyed reading this book. I loved how the author made you feel like you were actually there. I learned a lot about queen bees too!!
This was my first book by Sue Monk KIdd and I enjoyed it so much ,I hvae allready bought more books by her.
Totally enjoyable! Chock full of wonderful metaphors. Easy read, couldn't put it down.
I have never written a review for any book that I have posted, but I had to for this one. It is absolutely one of my favorites - the universal theme of needing to be loved, in a totally engaging, humorous, heartfelt little novel.
"Bees" takes a beautiful look at the different forms of love, and the different forms of motherhood. The characters are full, and you really care for their stories.
If the writing isn't enough to draw you into this Utopian world of the pink honey house - the characters will lure you there. This is absolutely one of my most favorite books ever. You will hate to say goodbye to the calendar sisters, Lily and Zach as you find your way to the final page. This is a "must-not-miss" read. Beware - you'll find yourself ordering multiple copies to pass on as gifts.
Set in South Carolina in 1964. This is a great Southern novel. "The tale of one motherless daughter's discovery of what family really means...and of the strange and wondrous places we find love."
Loved this book! Made me laugh and made me cry! KIDD has a way with really bringing the characters to life!
For those of you who want to read a good story from a master storyteller, this is the book for you. One of my favorites!
A good story...still do not know what all the hype was about though.
fantastic book about a young girl growing up in the South and the people who come to love her - great read
Interesting quick read of life in South Carolina in 1960s. Beautiful, charming coming of age story.
Elaine G. (Very interesting! I've never read anything like it. It was fascinating.
Bonnie S. (I enjoyed this very much, esp the building of the stone wall.
This is a wonderful, warm book about a young girl searching for a mother. The writing is wonderful, you are THERE in the hot Carolina sun.
Wonderful!! Couldn't put it down; the main character's longing for a family to love it palpable.
Surprisingly good...not overly sentimental like I expected, with some seriously challenging themes.
A wonderful book, full of interesting characters. A different twist on the quest story.
Enjoyed it very much. Good characters, easy to read, good storyline. Would read it again when I was out of new stuff.
This is the best story! I enjoyed this book from beginning to end!
This is by far one of the best books I have ever read - wonderful story
I really enjoyed this book. Uplifting coming of age story of a young woman in the south. Gives you very good flavor of the times. A quick, enjoyable read.
A story of a motherless child who finds out what love means. New York Times Best seller
Rose B. (What a great book on the power of love! I cried and laughed!
I loved this book and read it in a day when I was sick in bed. I'm a native Californian who lived in the South for eight years, and I've long loved classic and modern Southern women writers. The interracial theme in this book was extradordinarily well-handled, and the characters as well as the interrelationships between them were lovely. Extremely well-written, thoughtful, heartwarming (but not icky sweet).
Rachel A. (I found this to be very good, surprising, and satisfying. Some of the imagery, like the black Madonna and the bee houses, will remain with me forever.
I loved this book. Had a hard time putting it down.
Taleah G. (A beautiful glimpse into the life of a young lady struggling with identity and belonging. A must read!
For me this was a strange but interesting story. Set up in older times, when racism was still prominent in the south, a young girl sets off to seek her mother. Her mother has been dead for many years. Discover how the bees are her map to a home filled with love and many hurtful events.
This is a wonderful story - the characters are engaging, the story is thrilling and it has a very strong sense of time and place. I couldn't put it down!
Cathy W. (Hard to describe....a "coming of age", civil rights era story. Enjoyable and causes one to engage in some introspection.
Ellen L. (Set in the South, the story of a young woman's rearch for knowledge about her mother.
Jenifer W. (A wonderful story that pulls you in from the first page. I couldn't put it down!
Extremely well written and interesting account of life in the south in the early 60s.
Lovely. She handles her characters with kid gloves---pun intended. Read it.
I honestly don't know what all the fuss is about this book. I fell asleep most of the times that I tried to read it.
A moving book - I really wanted to know what was going to happen next. Will there be a sequel so we can find out what happens to Lily ....I hope so!
This is an amazing book!! I really enjoyed it and I hope others do too!!! Wonderfully written!!! Just wonderful!!!!
Caryn S. (A WONDERFUL BOOK BASED ON FAMILY AND THE MEANING OF FAMILY AND LOVE
Awesome book, well written, rich with texture and well worth reading.
This was an excellent book for reasons I could not quite pin point. I had trouble putting it down. Sue Kidd needs to write more!
Great book. A favorite book that I didn't want to put down.
Heartwarming, cute story. There are moments when my "suspension of belief" was strained, but the book is short enough that it was a huge problem. Well worth the time it took to read it.
(This book lives up to all of the hype about it!! A wonderful story!
Kikuyo C. (
S W. (A touching melodrama about a young girl, her hardships, and her coming of age. A young person out of her element....searching for the past....praying for a future. Story is entertaining and moves fast.
One of the best books I've read this year.
Very sweet and loving within a story of adolescence, pain and loss, and searching. Uplifting and enjoyable.
I really enjoyed this book. This book was outside my realm of what I would normally read, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised.
This is one of the best books I've read in a long time! Its a must read!
Really good story with strong characters. I would recommend.
A charming and easy read, full of southern flavor about a girl's search for family and a place to belong. I enjoyed this book thoroghly although the ending does tie up all the strings a little too neatly.
Cathy A. (
Sherene R. (A wonderful story of a relationship between a mother and daughter
A story I'll remember all my life about a young girl's desolation and the journey her heart knew would lead her to the place she belonged. Brilliant and beautiful.
Excellent novel about mothers and daughters. Very moving
This was a wonderful story about family, coming of age and a teenager's search for truth about the mother she believes abandoned her. It is set in the South and is very descriptive. It was hard to put it down!
Should be an Oprah Book - the descriptions are rich and the characters are wonderful but it is a slow story.
If you love Harlan Coben, then you'll.....well, maybe not like this book. Coben's treatment of the unacknowledged longing for the universal feminine divine is considerably more muted and subtle than Sue Monk Kidd's. This edition includes an interview with Sue Monk Kidd. I'm happy to know that her father is the "exact opposite" of Lily's negligent and abusive father.
Beautifully imagery, characters you love - all around great book. I would have given it a perfect 10, except I found the ending just a little too "pat" and wrapped up tidely. Highly recommended.
Very well written and entertaining story. Definately a favorite of mine.
Sandra (Lily seems so real, with all the feelings of a young girl. I love her sense of right and wrong and how she takes action. A character you can really root for at last.
I actually listened to the audio of this book several YEARS ago-- I LOVED it so much that I automatically buy the paperback whenever I see it just to be able to share it with readers who haven't read it yet. =)
I really liked this book it reminded me of Annie Proulx's The Shipping News with little snipits at the beginning of each chapter from other sources. But it also reminded me of Marilyn Robinson's Housekeeping.
I found this book to be a terrific, quick read. It was interesting in that I had never learned much about bees before, and the characters that were created were done so beautifully. Sue Kidd has a way with words that just enchant the reader and drag one right into the story, even if you don't want to be drug!
There is such a range of emotions from despair to grief to love to pride...i was laughing at times, crying t others. A very enjoyable read!
Tish O. (i did not thinki would get into this book.the time and place settings made me a littel uncomfortable. Now i know that this is one of my favorite books i've ever read. the strong female charachters are amazing.the story ,is a little contrived but who cared by the end you just loved them all and did not want it to end.
Good the first time, but forced to read over and over for High School and now am soooooo sick of it!
The story of a girl whose mother was killed and her escape to Tiburon, South Carolina, which is part of her mother's past. The story is about her relationship with the three beekeeping women who take her in.
Kristin (Set in 1960's South Carolina this is a story about the true meaning of family, spirituality and love. Very well written!
Most enjoyable read with interesting characters and plenty of humor in an unusual situation.
A chick flick waiting to happen, a la Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. My dream casting: Billy Bob Thornton as T. Ray, Queen Latifah as August, Oprah as Rosaleen, Brittany Murphy as Deborah. Read more (including discussion questions) at SueMonkKidd.com.
From Publishers Weekly
Honey-sweet but never cloying, this debut by nonfiction author Kidd (The Dance of the Dissident Daughter) features a hive's worth of appealing female characters, an offbeat plot and a lovely style. It's 1964, the year of the Civil Rights Act, in Sylvan, South Carolina. Fourteen-year-old Lily is on the lam with motherly servant Rosaleen, fleeing both Lily's abusive father T. Ray and the police who battered Rosaleen for defending her new right to vote. Lily is also fleeing memories, particularly her jumbled recollection of how, as a frightened four-year-old, she accidentally shot and killed her mother during a fight with T. Ray. Lily is a budding writer, desperate to connect yet fiercely protective of her secret interior life. Kidd's success at capturing the moody adolescent girl's voice makes her ambivalence comprehensible and charming. And it's deeply satisfying when August teaches Lily to "find the mother in (herself)" a soothing lesson that should charm female readers of all ages.
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