Books : The Secret Life of Bees
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780142001745
ISBN: 0142001740
Label: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 336
Publication Date: January 28, 2003
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Release Date: January 28, 2003
Sales Rank: 629
Studio: Penguin (Non-Classics)
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Sue Monk Kidd's ravishing debut novel has stolen the hearts of reviewers and readers alike with its strong, assured voice. 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 to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love--a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.
Amazon.com Review:
In Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, 14-year-old Lily Owen, neglected by her father and isolated on their South Carolina 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. --Regina Marler
Average Rating: 
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For those of us who grew up during the civil rights movement or on the fringe and are now seeing the change The Secret Life of Bees is a clear reminder of where the march begins in a place we can clearly see and feel. Take the chance and go back to that place, feel the feelings and be empowered.
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This book makes for a great read. 'Secret Life' provokes the reader to reflect on all of the positive changes that America has undergone since the 1960's. Additionally, any woman/little girl who has struggled to find her true identity can relate to Lily's plight. With that being said, however great the movie, I do not believe that the actresses chosen to portray the book's characters match each character's true essence. I am glad that I make it a point to read the book prior to watching the movie adaptation.
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This book was so captivating I could not put it down. I experienced a gamet of emotions from feelings of happiness, sadness, guilt, anger, lonliness as well as a sense of belonging. I would highly recommend this book.
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This book is great. I finished it in about 3-4 sittings. You don't want to put it down. I can't wait to see the movie.
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Reading the Secret Life of Bees during one of what is undoubtedly one of the most historic elections of my lifetime, most likely most Americans lifetimes was intriguingly nostalgic and retrospective of the changes in our United States that took place during the civil rights movement all the way to present. In the Secret Life of Bees, the racial divide is crudely exposed, but is described in a nurturing fashion of the coming of age story of Lily Owens. The characters are full of hope for their future and the racial divide in the book is bridged momentarily. Now, after the recent election and finishing the book shortly after Nov. 4th it seems the racial divide is once again bridged at least momentarily.
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