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The Secret Life of Bees
The Secret Life of Bees
Author: Sue Monk Kidd
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 "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the town's fiercest racists, Lily decides they should both escape...  more »
Info icon
ISBN-13: 9780142001745
ISBN-10: 0142001740
Publication Date: 1/28/2003
Pages: 336
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 5516

4 stars, based on 5516 ratings
Publisher: Penguin
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

achadamaia avatar reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 48 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 41
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.
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 12 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 22
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!
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 8 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 18
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.
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 10 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 17
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!!
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 200 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 14
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.
Read All 738 Book Reviews of "The Secret Life of Bees"

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GusNBuster avatar reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 51 more book reviews
Wonderful book and storyline. (I see in the description that this book is for reading level 9-12, but this is book is a "grownup" book ... not in content and there's not anything "bad" in it, but it is an enjoyable read for all ages.)
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 107 more book reviews
this was a very good read. enjoyed it very much.
foxygirl
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 4 more book reviews
This is one of those books that stays with you after you're done reading it. It's a great book.
getinmybellykelly avatar reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on
I really enjoyed this book. I wouldn't say that the scenario was entirely realistic, but it was beautifully written, a great coming of age story.
Ryeth avatar reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 82 more book reviews
A wonderful read & it's filled with colorful characters that you really get involved with. I recommend it.
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 5 more book reviews
Great read..hard to put down...you can totally relate to the characters as they go thru each of lifes encounters!
SuziL avatar reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 25 more book reviews
Enjoyable.
rissa38 avatar reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 6 more book reviews
Easy read, very interesting and sweet. The religious aspect in the book was different (part catholicism, part invented historical lore). Takes place in the South so I appreciated the notations about the heat & smells. Love the fact that honey was somewhat of a main character, made me want to study up on the health and benefits of the lovely goo. I would recommend this as beach reading for those interested.
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 72 more book reviews
What a wonderful story teller - and the social life of bees put up next to the main character... breathtaking imagery.
beccalaa avatar reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 11 more book reviews
This is one of the most touching and beautiful stories I have read in a very long time! The connection between the women, then bees and the heartache that life brings all are brought together with such beauty and in such an achingly painful way that anyone who has gone through any sort of pain at all in life will identify. I recommend this to people from pre-teen to 99! It is a story of loss, of hope, and of learning that anger is not strength, but that turning loss, pain and anger into a love and understanding that can be sent back into the world is the true strength that lies in every woman's heart. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
bouncy01 avatar reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 26 more book reviews
I throughly enjoyed this book. I was drawn into the story, and into the character's lives, their struggles, their feelings, their hearts. I would recommend it to anyone wanting a lighthearted tale, that will sweep you in.
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on
Loved this book. A book with a good beginning, middle and end! Leaves you wanting to know what happens next.
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 29 more book reviews
I really loved this story. At first listen I was unsure of my pick- possibly due to the despair you feel for a girl that wasn't given a fair shot from the beginning. Soo very glad that I chose to listen further, because the story continue to mature and I couldn' t stop listening. I HAD to know what was to become of all the characters. Well written and narrated.
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 5 more book reviews
Good book. Nice to have unabridged copy.
I-no-books avatar reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 93 more book reviews
Excellent story! Your heart will break for this young girl. Unabridged
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 46 more book reviews
Should be a classic.
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 11 more book reviews
the narrator was fantastic. loved her voice, it added so much to the story. tried reading this book and didn't like it but loved the AduioCD.
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on
This is one of my top ten favorite books! Well written, with lots of characters to make you laugh and cry. I buy this book for young people in my life.
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 6 more book reviews
This book is sooooo good. I really enjoyed it, it is a feel good book.
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on
Wonderfully written! One of my favorite books.
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 11 more book reviews
Lovely story. My daughter and I both enjoyed it very much.
shaffstall avatar reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 8 more book reviews
Love this book. great read. Wonderful story.
luvpuzzles avatar reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 3 more book reviews
I bought this book for my niece and she gave it back to me to read and I loved it. I loved the characters and really got wrapped up in the story. I would recommend the book and will definitely return it to my niece.
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 10 more book reviews
I liked it.
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 3 more book reviews
Wow! I'm still impressed a week later. There isn't a woman alive who can't relate to one (or most likely, all) of the characters. An important reading to understand the South in the 1960's but more importantly to understand women of all ages, no matter their color or age.
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 18 more book reviews
GREAT BOOK! It's a must read!
reviewed The Secret Life of Bees on + 7 more book reviews
Easy read...great story.

Book Wiki

Original Publication Date (YYYY-MM-DD)
People/Characters
Lily Owens (Primary Character)
Rosaleen Daise (Primary Character)
May Boatwright (Primary Character)
June Boatwright (Primary Character)
(Show all 8 People/Characters)
Real Places
Important Events

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