Rating: 
Summary: Coming of Age in the 60s in the South
Review: This coming of age story by Sue Monk Kidd, is more than that. An well written book about a young girl's struggle to find redemption after a lifetime of abuse by a father who can't seem to forgive. Although white, Lily seems to fit right in with the other members of the black Boatwright family. Her quest to find her mother's past and learn about her own future is the point in this lovely book. Interspersed with the raising of bees for honey, there appear the struggles of the blacks in the 1960s and Lily's father a typical southern male adds to the mess with his warped mental attitude. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to others who like coming of age or finding yourself type books.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Wonderful
Review: First of all, I wish I could give "The Secret Life of Bees" more than five stars, because it deserves a thousand. Sue Monk Kidd has created a profound novel about love, coming of age, and sisterhood. She's wonderful with words and sentence flow - no matter what she's writing about, you always want to keep turning the pages. The book takes place in the South during the Civil War. The narrator, Lily Owens, is a fourteen-year-old girl who lost her mother when she was young. She lives on a peach farm with her father, who mistreats her. Lily longs for motherly love, but all she has is Rosaleen, her black stand-in mother. When Lily and Rosaleen escape to Tiburon, a town that Lily knows is somehow connected to her mother, they are taken in by three black sisters, who will give them more than just love.
All the characters in this book are described so vividly that you'll miss them when you finish reading. The story unfolds beautifully, while still keeping you on the edge of your seat. It may not grab your attention from the bookshelf, but every female on this earth should read it. Bravo, Ms. Kidd!
Rating: 
Summary: buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Review: could have had better chaceter delvp. But all in all, a good story. Not a page turner, She really let the rednecks off easy. and living in the south in the 60's, white folks would never have let that child stay with them and considering the climate when this was written, they would have had to keep her hidden to keep her there. So not super believible, but it was a decent feel good story.
Rating: 
Summary: Oh to be a Daughter of Mary...
Review: I listened to the audiobook. The voice of the book is Lily Owen, a fourteen year old and the reader sounded like a teenager. I thought that was a nice touch for the audiobook. I read a portion of it and it does lose that southern drawl/young sound of the "voice." Rather than finding it hard to put the book down, I often spent several minutes in the parking lot or in my driveway, just trying to come to a place where I could stop the tape. It was a very enjoyable book with characters you would like to have as your friends. Set in the mid-60s, it incorporates world events (civil rights movement, the space program) into the lives of small town people. Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, I can relate to many of the issues of racial tension and separation. I would love to have a sequel follow the characters lives further. Although, I enjoy imagining how their lives turn out myself. My only disappointment in the book is the rapid resolution of Lily's relationship with her father. I kept wondering how it would be resolved, and in the blink of an eye, the perhaps-a-bit-too-perfect solution was found. I didn't doubt the book would end as it did (well, I was a little bit worried), but the path seemed to be a shortcut. I can't believe it's 320 pages long. I only knew that at 6 audiotapes, it's a pretty short "read." Yet, the author is able to develop the characters and describe the place and time so well that you can actually taste the honey.
Rating:
Summary: Buzzes to a great pitch!
Review: This wonderful story set in the South during the sixties buzzes to a great pitch when fourteen-year-old Owen, fed up with her father's abuse and neglect, sets out to find answers to her mother's dark and poignant death. All she possesses is the image of a Black Madonna -- a gift from her mother. What transpires is a beautiful coming-of-age story that captures the reader's heart. I love this book. The characters are extraordinarily vivid -- timeless and alive -- especially the beekeeping sisters. Also, the backdrop of the South is insightful and exquisite. Southern fiction has scarcely been this good! This is a tale by a master storyteller, without the tiresome formula that accompanies most of today's popular fiction. I didn't want this book to end, and savored the final few pages. I consider myself quite fortunate to have discovered it, and will read everything else by this skilled author...
Rating:
Summary: The Secret Life of Bees
Review: A delightful read! The touching story of a pre-teen girl desparately seeking some affection which she finds in an unexpected place. The blurb in the book is somewhat off setting and not a real enticement to read this book. Our book discussion group read this last month and evryone raved about it.
Rating:
Summary: The Secret Life of Bees
Review: Great story filled with wonderful characters.
Rating:
Summary: Not Only For Adults
Review: I picked up this book only because it was always lying around the house(my mother buys books than it takes her about a year to finish them), and wow I am glad this was the book that I choose. I am a sixteen year old trying to cope with the death of my older brother four years ago and while Lily was dealing with a very different loss in this book the realizations that she came to about life, death, and family really affected me. Not only is this a book about family for a more mature audience I think that this is a great book for anyone my age who really wants a good read about the life and trials of someone their own age.
Rating:
Summary: great book club selection
Review: If you are looking for a wonderful new book with strong characters and a narrator's strong voice, this is it. The discussion guide at the end was helpful for our book club discussion. I recommend this to female readers of all ages!
Rating:
Summary: Read in a day...
Review: And I NEVER can finish a book in a day, but this one just flew by! I just lost all sense of time. The characters are so wonderful and well realized. Their surroundings are made so real with Kidd's terrific prose. Like the other reviews, I want to know what happened to them all - especially Lily and Zach. Highly recommended!!
| 
