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Summary: A TOUCHING STORYABOUT A GIRL IN SEARCH OF FAMILY LOVE
Review: WOW! This is a story about a girl in the 1960's, during the Civil Rights Act. I could not put this book down! Kidd has done an excellent job on this fantastic novel, and I plan to read more of her's. I would reccommend this to anyone from 13, to above and beyond! Lily Owens has run away from home. Reason? She has just broken her black nanny out of jail, she has an abusive father, and is in search of the history of her dead mother's past. She ends up on a bee-raising "farm," with three black old maids. Secrets of her Mother are revealed as she stays with these ladies, and parts in her she discovers along the way. I loved this book sooo much! I would put it at the top of the New York Bestseller's list in no time if I were the judge!! READ THIS BOOK!
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Summary: Heartwarming and Uplifting
Review: I laughed, I cried, and I felt joy reading this book. I've passed it on to several friends, they've in turn bought it as gifts for their daughters (or mothers), and I recommend it every chance I can. This is a book about mothers, daughters, loss and hope. Hope reigns triumphant in this delightfully written novel. The protagonist, Lily, is a girl in a bad situation but her spunk and drive erase any trace of woe-is-me that might be found in other books on a similar subject. The cast of characters in this heartwarming book will delight you, enlighten you, and make you wish you could spend your days with them. Kidd should write far more fiction; I'll be lined up waiting for her next novel. I read to senior citizens every week and I just finished reading the entire book to them (a chapter at a time) and they were mesmerized and delighted with the book. Each week they could hardly wait for the next instalment to be read. Read it to someone you care about. Enjoy! (btw, it's a great gift book for any mother or daughter)
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Summary: Too Much Honey, Honey
Review: Sue Monk Kidd writes beautifully about dreams, and this novel is one, long dream. It held my attention and pulled me into its little world, but after I finished it, I felt rooked. Nothing about the characters or the situation feels natural and real; all is forced and artificial. From the poor white-trash girl with the sadistic daddy to the African-American sisters, named for months of the year, running a honey farm in rural South Carolina, who seem to dispense home-made wisdom with each jar of their home-made nectar -- all during the height of the Civil Rights Movement in 1964 -- good golly miss Molly! This is, I can fairly say, didactic writing at its absolutely most delightful. So if you don't mind being hit over the head with BIG IDEAS while reading a sentimental story about the enduring power of Womankind, then this book is for you. I expect more from a novel than a big hug and a good cry.
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Summary: You must read this book!
Review: This is one of the most wonderful books I've ever read. As cliche' as it may sound it really will make you laugh, cry and fall in love with the characters. It's such a beautiful story about a young girl/woman's journey and teaches you so much about love, friendship, family, forgiveness, joy and loss. I recommend it to all women.
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Summary: A Lifetime original movie?
Review: This book is one of the most cliche-ridden books I've ever read. The coming-of-age teen girl. The african-american wisdom. The abusive Southern father. New-age take on old religions. Hugs. Crying. Funerals and weddings. All in a Southern summer. Other books have taken these cliches and done great things. That's what made them cliches. Our author, however, has given us a book so unoriginal, so cloyingly sweet, as to dull the palate and the senses. If you need some heart-warming fluff, and can hold your breath long enough, by all means, read this book. Otherwise, read anything else. Also, the author was undoubtedly writing the screenplay at the same time she was writing this book. I'm sure the movie rights are signed and sealed by now. And Oprah will play the part of August, a role she was born for. Yes, it's one of those kinds of books.
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Summary: a very satisfying read
Review: The characters in this book bring you in and wrap their arms around you. The pages are infused with warmth and love, life lessons learned, and good triumphing over despair in the end. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Could Lily be Huckleberry Finn long lost sister
Review: When I finished the book I was quite amazed to find certain similarities between Lily's self-discovery of her own journey w/ the bees, and Huckleberry Finn drifting down the river in search of his own. Both of them care for the person they are running away w/ and each see the horror and discontent beyond the confine of their home or raft. Of course there are differences, but more so since it got me interested.
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Summary: Sorority
Review: The plot is believeable and enchanting. This is a consistently well written narrative. A young woman seeking nurturing from a maternal source finds an unlikely group of strong women to guide her through her journey into womanhood. The parallels between a bee hive and the comfort and security of life with "sisters" is a great undercurrent for this wonderful book.
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Summary: Loved this book
Review: This story was so moving and wonderful as soon as I finished reading it, I wanted to read I again. A little girl searching for her mother and her mother's love. She finds motherly love, but not as she or the reader expected it. This novel was a joy to read.
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Summary: Just plain old good story telling
Review: Life of Bees has you cheering for all the women throughout the book. The issues were real, but presented without interrupting the story. I was so impressed wtih the writing and story line that I immediately had my (very sensitive) 12 year-old daughter read it. It is a story worth reading and remembering for its sensitive revealemant of abuse and prejudice, and for its recognition of doing the right thing not only for human kind, but for yourself. It makes you proud to be a woman and wish you could cure the world with honey.
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