The Secret Life Of Bees
The Phenomenal Number One Bestseller
MY OPINION
"Charming, funny, moving" The Times
"This is a wonderful book, by turns funny, sad, full of incident and shot through with grown-up magic reminiscent of Joanne Harris" Daily Telegraph
"Uplifting and warm-hearted, this is a moving novel" Literary Review
ABOUT THE STORY
Lily is a 14 years old girl who has grown up believing she accidentally killed her mother when she was just a little girl during a fight between her and Lily's father that she calls T. Ray. Growing up she is desperately craving for her mother's love and forgiveness.
She lives on a peach farm alone with her unloving father and a black housekeeper Rosaleen.
After a day full of shocking incidents which got Rosaleen into prison, she decides to rescue her and run away to get some information about her mother.
The road gets her and Rosaleen to Tiburon where her mother allegedly spent some time before her death. The journey brings Lily to her "other family", as we could say, and that's where she gets to know her own life, the truth about her mother, the qualities of life and wonderful people who fill up the emptiness the death of her mother had caused. She falls in love, stands up to her dad and learns how to live in the company of bees.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
Lily Melissa Owens - The novel’s main character. Lily is a fourteen-year-old white girl who runs away from home to find the truth about her mother.
Rosaleen Daise - Lily’s nanny and first friend. Rosaleen is a black woman who originally worked as a peach picker in the fields belonging to Lily’s father.
Terrence Ray (T. Ray) Owens - Lily’s father
Deborah Fontanel - Lily’s mother. Deborah was shot accidentally by four-year-old Lily.
August Boatwright - A middle-aged black woman who welcomes Lily into her home .By selling honey, she supports herself and sisters, as well as Lily and Rosaleen later on.
June Boatwright - Sister of August and May.
May Boatwright - Sister of August and June.
April Boatwright - May’s twin sister. She committed suicide in childhood.
Zachary Taylor - Lily’s best friend and part of her love story.
The Daughters of Mary - A group of African Americans who have created their own religion (Violet, Lunelle, Cressie, Mabelee, Sugar-Girl).
WHO IS SUE MONK KIDD?
She was born on August 12, 1948, and raised in the small town of Sylvester, Georgia, which had a deep influence on the writing of her first novel - The Secret Life of Bees (2002). She graduated in 1970 and later took several writing courses like the ones at Emory University and Anderson College and other writters conferences.
As a writer she wrote many other successful stories like When the Heart Waits (1990), The Dance of the Dissident Daughter (1996), The Mermaid Chair (2005), Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story (co-authored with her daughter Taylor, 2009), The Invention of Wings (her latest novel, 2014).
Website: http://suemonkkidd.com/
SO FAR SO GOOD? THERE'S MORE ...
QUOTES
As the book is full of interesting quotations, here are some to think about.
“Someone who thinks death is the scariest thing doesn't know a thing about life.”
“If you need something from somebody always give that person a way to hand it to you.”
“Knowing can be a curse on a person's life. I'd traded in a pack of lies for a pack of truth, and I didn't know which one was heavier. Which one took the most strength to carry around? It was a ridiculous question, though, because once you know the truth, you can't ever go back and pick up your suitcase of lies. Heavier or not, the truth is yours now.”
“After you get stung, you can't get unstung
no matter how much you whine about it.”
“When it's time to die, go ahead and die, and when it's time to live, live. Don't sort-of-maybe live, but live like you're going all out, like you're not afraid.”
“You gotta imagine what's never been.”
“I can't think of anything I'd rather have more than somebody lovin' me.”
“In a weird way I must have loved my little collection of hurts and wounds. They provided me with some real nice sympathy, with the feeling I was exceptional...What a special case I was."
“The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters.”
“The body knows things a long time before the mind catches up to them. I was wondering what my body knew that I didn't.”
“Nothing is fair in this world. You might as well get that straight right now”
- Sue Monk Kidd
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES - THE FILM
There was also a film made after the book that started playing in 2008.
Actors who played the main characters:
Lily Owens - Dakota Fanning
August Boatwright - Queen Latifah
Rosaleen - Jennifer Hudson
June - Alicia Keys
May - Spohie Okonedo
T. Ray Owens - Paul Bettany
Deborah Owens - Hilarie Burton
Zach Taylor - Tristan Wilds
HOW HONEY IS MADE
HONEY AS CURE
The use of honey for healing has been a practice for over 5,000 years. Ancient Greeks used to dab the sticky substance onto wounds in order to heal them more quickly.
5 Honey Facts You Might Not Know
Honey, particularly in its raw form, offers unique health benefits that you might not be aware of. Among them…
1. Honey Makes Excellent Cough “Medicine”
Honey is a substance that relieves irritation in your mouth or throat by forming a protective film.
2. Honey Can Treat Wounds
Honey can help fight serious skin infections.
It has antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidants activities that make it ideal for treating wounds.
3. Honey Improves Your Scalp
Honey diluted with a bit of warm water was shown to significantly improve seborrheic dermatitis, which is a scalp condition, after applying the solution every other day for four weeks.
4. Help Boost Your Energy
If you’re looking for a quick energy boost, such as before or after a workout, honey can suffice.
5. Reduce Allergy Symptoms
Locally produced honey, which will contain pollen spores picked up by the bees from local plants, introduces a small amount of allergen into your system. Theoretically, this can activate your immune system and over time can build up your natural immunity against it.
3 DIY HONEY HOME REMEDIES
3 DIY Honey Home Remedies
- Honey Hair Conditioner: Mix ½ cup honey with ¼ cup olive oil. Work a small amount through your hair until coated. Cover your hair with a shower cap and let sit for 30 minutes. Shampoo as normal and rinse.
- Honey Body Moisturizer: Mix 5 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons rose oil, and 2 cups almond oil in a medium-sized bottle. Apply as needed onto wet skin.
- Honey Almond Scrub: Mix 3 teaspoons honey, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and 6 ½ tablespoons of finely crushed almonds. Rub the exfoliating scrub onto your face gently and rinse with warm water.