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Summary: charming and a joy to read
Review: A balanced, musical novel about love and harmony, "The Secret Life of Bees" tells the coming-of-age story of 14-year-old Lily Owens. Withering in her 1964 backwoods South Carolina home, she runs away from an abusive father and an uninspiring life. She seeks the town of Tiburon, inspired by a picture found among her deceased mother's possessions, and on arriving she meets a world full of remarkable women who lead her on a journey towards happiness, her mother, and herself."The Secret Life of Bees" is wonderful to read. It's lyrical and engaging and full of connections. Bees weave in and out of the story, encompassing the setting and the lives of the characters. Although it's not a long book and reads quickly, it builds a world, a house of metaphors that engage and delight. The book's only shortcoming is its neatness. Set at the epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement, it ignores the momentous events of the day, concentrating instead on the deep relationships within and among its characters. However, when racial issues enter the plot, they are suspiciously tidy. Although these incidents do not ring true, they hardly mar the story's charm, since their details and level of realism are peripheral to the novel's true concerns: strength in oneself, love among women, secrets, and bees.
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Summary: Fun, while encouraging
Review: Some think it's silly, others think it is sensible. I just thought it was a fun, while encouraging, book to read. The Prayer of Hannah by Kenn Gividen is another excellent book.
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Summary: One of the best books ever!
Review: I feel so privledged to have had this book in my life. I listened to it as an unabridged audio book, and the narrator "Jenna Lamia" was absolutely astounding and breathtaking as Lilly, and all the other characters. I am sure that Ms Kidd must be thrilled with her interprative reading of this story.
Several times I almost had to pull off the road because I became so enthralled with what was happening! I just wish I knew if Lilly and Zach ever were able to be together!
HINT TO MS MONK- PLEASE write a sequel for Lilly and Zach as they are older!!!
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Summary: The Simplicity of Love
Review: I agree with some previous reviewers: the most redeeming part of this novel was its life affirming message about the simplicity of love. Reminds me very much of Kirk Martin's books The Gravel Drive and Shade of the Maple. I enjoyed these author's style of writing and positive messages. Highly recommended.
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Summary: A nice fairy tale to warm your heart
Review: This book was like a fairy tale, simple yet compelling. I couldn't really put it down when I started. I'll agree that the story is in many ways "superficial", most of the characters had predictable behaviors from beginning to end of book, and some parts of the story seems silly. But if you approach this book as a fairy tale and not as a bit of historical fiction then you'd definitely enjoy it more. To me this story is really about how simple love is despite all its apparent complexities. I highly recommend it if you are looking for something life-affirming without too much baggage.
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Summary: An amazing book
Review: The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd, is about a young girl who goes on a journey to discover information about her mother. She believes that the death of her mother was all of her fault. She doesn't enjoy living with T Ray, her father, so she decides to run away with Rosaleen who has been taking care of her. They leave together to go to Virginia since that's where her mother had been. Lilly meets 3 sisters whose names are May, June and August. While living with the women, Lilly learns all about bees and the truth about her mother and accepts that her mother is gone. In conclusion, Lilly stays with August and doesn't return home.
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Summary: the secret life of bees
Review: EXCELLENT BOOK!!!!!!!!!WELL WORTH READING
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Summary: A wonderful book
Review: Many authors who are great at non-fiction cannot write fiction at all. In this case, however, a very good non-fiction writer ("Dance of the Dissident Daughter") made a transition to a very good fiction writer. I found the bee-keeping metaphor perfect in the growth of Lily from a scared little girl to a young woman who was able to find new definitions of "mother." The characters were well-written believable and whole. A joy from start to finish.
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Summary: The Glue of Past and Present
Review: Have you read To Kill a Mocking Bird? Or Huckinberry Finn? Or even The Color Purple? If you answer yes to even one of these books then you should definitely read this book. The setting is right after President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Bill, the struggle is not just between races but two different culture. While Lee, Twain, and Walker touched the life of slaves before their freedom, Sue Monk Kidd describe the hostile they faced afterward. You should really read this book or else you will miss the big picture of American history.
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Summary: sweet southern poetry
Review: This book is poetry. On every page there are lines I never want to forget. I could not put it down. People that are unimpressed by this book should (and i mean this) seek counselling. It is a delicate story about the need for a young person to feel that they matter in the world and who they are is important to those around them.
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