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Summary: The Secret Life of Bees
Review: This is one of the best "coming of age" stories I have ever heard. I recommend the audio version since the storyteller sounds just like a 14 year old southern girl growing up in South Carolina. The story is a mixture of homespun wisdom, joy, indredible sadness,prejudice, and life in the south of the 1960's. It's a beautifully told tale, full of love, and forgiveness. The characters are real and as you get to know them, you care about what happens to each of them. I was enthralled, couln't wait to get to the next chapter.
Rating: 
Summary: The Secret Life of Bees
Review: 14 year-old motherless Lily Owens lives on a peach farm in Georgia with her abusive father and black nanny, Rosaleen. Lily has vague memories of her mother who was killed when Lily was 4 years old. Lily holds precious the few belongings she has of her mothers. One belonging is a picture of a black Madonna with the inscription"Tiburon, South Carolina" written on the back.After Lily's black nanny, Rosaleen, is beaten and jailed after trying to register to vote, Lily is inspired by the inscription on her mother's black Madonna picture to break Rosaleen out and head to Tiburon. A journey of escape from Lily's abusive father, a journey of escape from the unjust law for Rosaleen, and a journey in search of her mother's past. It is in Tiburon that Lily meets the "calendar sisters", August, June and May Boatwright. These sisters are also the town's beekeepers. It is here, with the calendar sisters, that Lily learns about motherhood, her own mother and about life.
Rating: 
Summary: Secret Life of Bees
Review: This book was such a letdown. I eagerly looked forward to reading this selection from my book club. ... I expected depth and perception, but instead the author presented endless descriptions of the characters' feelings. The plot was predictable. No surprises after the setting was presented. The symbolism is trite. For example, when Lily is told she could be a talented beekeeper, a flock of birds leave the ground to take flight. Southern cliches abound without imagination. The characters were not well drawn. Much needed details about the Nanny and the mother were omitted. It reminded me of the movie, Cocoon. A shallow cartoon that appeals to a very narrow audience.
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Summary: Incredible
Review: This book was one of the best books I have read this year. I hated for it to end. It spoke to me as a woman searching for a spiritual connection and validated for me that often, very very often true healing comes from from the goddesses that surround us in our daily lives. I have bought this book for 5 of my dearest friends and their reaction is the same as mine..."What a great book!!!!"
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Summary: Brilliant... a whole new respect for bees!
Review: This book is absolutely marvelous. Not only will you fall in love with all the characters, but you will fall in love with all the goodness life has to offer. The book revolves around a girl named Lily, a motherless teen living in the mid-1900s. After continuous friction between Lily and her father, T-ray, Lily is determined to leave her house. She sets out with her nanny and best friend to search for the answer to her questions about her mother. Little does she know, that not only will she learn more about her mother than she could have ever asked for, but she learns more about herself than she would have ever known. Lily is a remarkable character that will find her way into your heart, as will 'The Secret Life of Bees' itself. An excellent novel by Sue Monk Kidd!
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Summary: New Age through and through
Review: I found this book an enjoyable read filled with colorful, eclectic characters. Set in the 1960's south we read of struggles with racism and a perserverance of individual courage. Also we learn about forgiveness and friendship. The book was well written and fast moving. The only thing that turned me off was the whole New Age "goddess within" theme, but thats just my personal taste (or distaste). All in all, an excellent book, made me feel like going and having a spoon full of honey! Pick up a copy and join the BUZZ!
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Summary: A HEART WARMING JOURNEY THAT IS A REAL PAGE TURNER
Review: I WOULD DEFINETLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK! What a wonderful journey the author takes the reader on. It was actually hard to put this book down. I loved the characters and wanted to find out what would happen to them next! This book is an easy and wonderful read!
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Summary: A lovely book, emotional and full of surprises.
Review: This book appealed to me in a lot of ways. Already the first paragraphe caught my attention. The style is original and full of poetry, and so lively it makes you want to go on reading. The main characters are very likable (except for Lily's father of course) and the story line is full of surprises. There's even a hint of romance. There is also tragedy, alleviated by the author's faith and her marvellous sense of humour. A book that I can only recommend... it won't disappoint.
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Summary: Great First Novel!
Review: I read this book last week and certainly was impressed. It probably isn't the sort of book I'd normally pick up and read, but I was stuck somewhere for a few days and I hadn't thought to bring a book along to read. My wife had two novels with her, and The Secret Life of Bees was one of them. But I have to say, I was terribly impressed.
The story follows a young girl, 15 I think, who gets in all manner of trouble and is eventually saved by a totally unusual bunch of older black ladies, in particular by a very unique beekeeper.
Although not a mystery per se, this one does read like a mystery, you never quite know everything until the very end. This keeps the level of suspense up high, making the book a bonafide page-turner.
I write my own self ... and I appreciate just how difficult it is to write well, clearly, brightly, missing nothing the way Sue Monk Kidd does here.
She is especially good with characters, each of whom is completely different, interesting, and real. I also feel that this book is unusual because it is so open minded. It could be a young adult novel but actually it could just as well simply be a novel for adults. I used to be a high school teacher and this book would be a hit with many kids, boys or girls, and not only would they enjoy it as simply a good read, but it would teach them a thing or two in the process.
The story takes place in the deep South in the mid 1960's, at the start of the civil rights movement. I myself was a runaway teenager working in carnivals there in the South in those same days, and the author has captured that mood, time and place perfectly. Tolerance may be the over-lying theme of this fun, interesting, at times quite sad but still uplifting new novel, and it is all expertly mined in this terrific book. Highly recommended.
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Summary: I didn't want this book to end!!
Review: I just finished reading this incredible book yesterday, and I miss the characters! Sue Monk Kidd wrote a touching, wonderful, funny story with amazing characters -- I can't say enough about this book! I had been hearing about it for some time, and finally got around to purchasing it -- I'm going out tomorrow to buy a couple more to give as gifts... I highly recommend this book and look forward to more fiction from this gifted author!!
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