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Summary: A must read for all daughters
Review: I loved this book. It was a quick and easy read, I finished it in one day. The author has a wonderful way of pulling you in this story as if you are watching it unfold before you. The details and descriptions of places, people and feelings are some of the best I've read. I cried, I was scared, I laughed out loud and I fell in love right along with Lily. I think this book should be a must read for all high-school aged girls, it gives you a sense of determination, power and understanding. Bravo!
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Summary: South Carolina comes to your living room
Review: Set in South Carolina, The Secret Life of Bees brings it's characters and the area to life. The writing is beautiful and the story engaging. We follow the saga of 14-year old Lily Owens, who has lost her mother to an accident that appears to be her fault and whose father ignores her on a good day, as she tries to make sense of her life. As if that wasn't enough, the people we meet along the way are well worth the ride.I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This also is an excellent novel for book clubs, because it is thought provoking and stirs up good discussion. I highly recommend it and I look forward to Ms. Kidd's next novel.
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Summary: "The hardest thing in life is choosing what matters." p 147
Review: I could read this novel neither fast enough to devour the plot nor slowly enough to savor the prose. Tantalizing word play teased the taste buds of my writer's soul as each course delivered new descriptors. My copy is full of highlighted passages that spoke directly to my heart and transported me to that bee farm in South Carolina. The literary world is a sweeter place thanks to this honey of a creation. I will look forward to sampling more of Ms. Kidd's offerings in the future.
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Summary: A Bee-autiful Book!
Review: The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd, is a wonderful book for anyone who has ever questioned where their strength comes from. In this novel, fourteen year-old Lily travels to Triburon, South Carolina, in search of knowledge of her deceased mother's past. There she stays with three beekeeping sisters: May, June, and August. Throughout the story the reader is captivated by the parallels between bee's behavior and the behavior of human beings...and most of all, with Lily's quest to find something to connect her to her mother's past. In this book- in the face of racial adversity - people blend together and help each other grow. And Lily learns not just where she came from, but also that she can "bee"come something - we all can. This was the best book I have read in awhile and just passed it on to my mom, who is also loving it!
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Summary: I couldn't put it down!
Review: This was such a great book! I just finished it and already I want to read it again! There were so many lines in the book that I wanted to put up on my qoute board. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read great story.
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Summary: A Wonderful Book About the Power of Women
Review: This is a great book, and I would recommend it to anyone, particularly anyone female. Sue Monk Kidd creates a world of real people who you can truly care about, and reminds us that there is strength within us all. I loved reading it and hated when it was over.
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Summary: Seeking Memories of a Mother
Review: In" The Secret Life of Bees,"we meet Lily Owens and her abusive father, T.Ray . This story is set in the South in 1964. Lily has a dark memory of her mother's death and follows a clue she found among her mother's possessions. The clue-a picture of a Black Modonna. We follow Lily's quest for understanding and acceptance in this very moving,well-written novel.
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Summary: Try to overlook the stereotypes
Review: We read this book as a faculty at the school where I teach. I identified a lot with Lily's search for identity as I, too, lost a parent at a young age. At times, the author made Lily's sense of longing jump off the page for the reader, and I actually had to put it down (too emotional for me). That being said, I am concerned about the stereotypes of black women that may have been put forth in this book. I kept picturing Mammy from Gone With the Wind whenever Rosaleen was being mentioned. I also worry as a history teacher that the civil rights' aspect wasn't covered carefully enough. (For example, as a black man, Zach would have known better than to drive into town with a white girl). Overall, a great book- extremely uplifting and empowering.
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Summary: The best book I have ever read!
Review: I cannot stress to anyone enough on what an excellent book this was to read. I am a casual reader, taking my time to enjoy the book,however, this book just swept me away and I just couldn't put it down! It is not only spiritual but emotionally fullfilling! I LOVED it and have recommended it to everyone I know!
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Summary: Realistic Characters
Review: Lily, the daughter of an abusive peach farmer, runs off with her Nanny, Rosaleen, after hearing something very disturbing about her deceased mother. With little idea on where to run to, Lily decides to go to the town that her mother had written on the back of a picture of a black Mary. This idea leads her to the answers of her biggest life questions. What makes this book so great is how realistic the characters are. Susan Monk Kidd does a beautiful job of showing the various and complex sides of each characters personality so the reader really feels like s/he has met these characters by the end. All of the characters actions throughout the book are realistic, and the dialogue is great. Definitely a fun, quick summer read.
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