Secret Life of Bees

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful!
Review: Absolutely one of the best books I've ever read. This story will make you laugh out loud and then cry for the characters' heartaches. This beautifully written tale is one that stays with the reader long after the final chapter has been read. I have recommended this book to several friends and they've all loved it. I wanted to crawl into the story and live with August, May and June. I wanted to mother Lily and protect Rosaleen from injustice. This book changed me. I can't wait for Sue Monk Kidd to produce another jewel like The Secret Life of Bees.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful story
Review: This is a fabulous coming of age story. Lily's mother died when she was very young and has very few memories of her. All she has is a few belongings and broken memories of what happened the day she died. Lilly does not have a good relationship with her father, who blames Lily for her mother's death and whose punishments include kneeling on grits. With the few belongings, she escapes from her father with her black caretaker. One of the belongings Lily has of her mother's is a wooden photo of a black virgin Mary. On the back is inscribed Tiburon, NC. Desperate to find out more about her mother and to escape her father, she heads to Tiburon. She lands on the doorstep of three bee keeping sisters and there she learns about the Black Mary, beekeeping, and about life. Kidd develops the characters so well that you fall in love with them. You can't help but feel for Lily. You get so involved with the characters that you can't put the book down. I hope Kidd writes a sequel because I want to know what happens to Lily next!

Rating:
Summary: if you liked "To Kill a Mockingbird" ....
Review: or "Bastard Out of Carolina", then this is the book for you.

Lily is the only child of a man whom she calls T. Ray, as "Daddy" is a moniker for which he is not qualified. Her mother died when she was 4 years old, allegedly from an accident that Lily caused.

In July 1964, the Civil Rights Act is passed and Rosaleen, Lily's African-American caretaker, goes into town to register to vote. Lily tags along, to get away from T. Ray, using the excuse that she wants to leave the house on her birthday. They run into trouble when some racisst try to block Rosaleen from registering. Through a series of events, Lily and Rosaleen run from their South Carolina town of Sylvan to the town of Tiburon, using a picture that Lily's mother left behind.

They land right in the house of August, June and May Boatwright, who keep bees. Lily lies about how and why she and Rosaleen are there, and they are put to work learning to keep bees and sell honey. Lily starts to find a family in these women to whom she has lied, and tries to discover what she can about her mother.

It's a great book, and well-written. It could have bordered on sentiment and stereotype, but it doesn't. It is also historically accurate, which I greatly appreciate.

Rating:
Summary: Sweet Book that you can't put down
Review: I loved this book. Just below me (or above?), a poster basically said they were disgusted with yet another white heroine. Hmmm... I actually thought the heroines were all the powerful black women that took care of the girl!

Rating:
Summary: The Secret Life of Bees
Review: This book is an idyllic model of white/black America. I don't understand why it is rated so high. Some parts of the book were so unbelievable, like when Rosaleen spat on the white men's shoes or when the young black men threw a can at the group of older white men. Who would do that in the deep south in such an unsettling time? I also feel disturbed that the focal point of the story is this innocent, white heroine. It is unsettling to me how many stories of that time focus on the white person: The Cider House Rules, The Power of One, The Secret Life of Bees. The book was somewhat entertaining to read, but very unbelievable.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling
Review: "The Secret Life of Bees" is probably one of the best books I have recently read. The story is compelling, along with the characters Ms. Kidd portrays. Since others have summarized the book, I won't do that here. A story about survival and friendship, this is one book I would recommend to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: An all time favorite!
Review: An absolutely beautiful and well written novel! Truly a favorite of mine ... best book I read in 2003!

Rating:
Summary: WOW !!!!!!!!!! WHAT A GREAT BOOK
Review: I have to say this is one of the best books i have read in a long time . The details she gives makes you feel like your there in the story.The book is well worth what ever you pay for it.

Rating:
Summary: Inspiring and thought provoking
Review: One of the best books I've ever read. This is a story of learning to find our inner strength and overcoming even the worst of odds. The beauty of the women's friendships and sisterhood is very touching as is the strength and support they gain from one an another. For those who believe in destiny (and even those who don't) this book will make you realize that sometimes we truly do end up where we were always meant to be. A hard to put down book. The characters are well developed, The kind you feel attached to and want to read more about. I'm hoping to see a sequel. Hard to believe this is her first novel!

Rating:
Summary: lovely
Review: This is the must lovely book i have ever read. It's also so tuchy, i even cried reading it.