The Secret Life of Bees
By: Sue Monk Kidd
Summary
Lily Owens, a girl from South Carolina, is abused by her father T-ray. After Rosaleen, her fierce "stand-in mother" gets thrown in jail, Lily decides she has had enough and escapes to Tiburon, South Carolina. In Tiburon, Lily and Rosaleen meet the Boatwright sisters, who kindly take them in. While staying there, August Boatwright teaches Lily how to be a beekeeper and about the world of bees. Lily also learns more about the past of her deceased mother through August Boatwright. The Secret Life of Bees is an inspirational novel about how strong women can be and has touched the heart of many readers.
The Secret Life of Bees was rated a 4 out of 5 by Goodreads, which is more than half and shows how many readers enjoyed the book!
"...your sorry mother ran off and left you. The day she died, she'd come back to get her things, that's all. You can hate me all you want, but she's the one that left you."
Can you imagine having an abusive father and not knowing anything about your mother? As young as Lily was, she went through this.
Time Period.
The Secret Life of Bees was set in 1964, where colored people were recently given the right to vote, but were not treated completely equally. It gives you a flashback into the past when the civil rights movement was underway. In the book, Lily's colored caretaker, Rosaleen, insults three of the most racist men in town and was beaten and thrown in jail. Knowing this information, what do you think will happen to Lily and Rosaleen throughout the novel?
Meet A Character.
August Boatwright, the oldest of the Boatwright sisters, was the mother of the house. She took care of her three younger sisters May, June and April. She stayed strong throughout the book, even though hardships such as death and inequality surrounded her. She was never afraid to speak her mind and was a strong and independent woman. "She would not store her supers for the winter until the bees had sucked out the last remaining bits of honey from the combs. She said that was because honey remnants attracted roaches...but really, I'm sure it was because she loved throwing a little end of the year party for her bees and seeing them descend on the supers like they'd discovered honey heaven." August is a caring person, not only to the people she meets, but to her bees as well. Everyone wishes they had a mother figure like August.
The book was so good that a movie was made starring your favorite celebrities!
Lily Owens
Played by Dakota Fanning.
Rosaleen
Played by Jennifer Hudson.
August Boatwright
Played by Queen Latifah.
June Boatwright
Played by Alicia Keys.
May Boatwright
Played by Sophie Okonedo.
T. Ray
Played by Paul Bettany.
Watch the trailer to give you more of an insight on the plot of the story!
The Secret Life of Bees Trailer