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Summary: Poignant Tale of Yearning & Self-Discovery
Review: I am a 37-year-old female who lost her mother (and best friend) last year to a sudden heart attack, so Lily's yearning for her mother struck a resonant chord in me. Even though I am much older than she, I identified with her search for herself as an individual, separate from her mother and father. Sue Monk Kidd's portraits of Lily, May, June, August and Rosaleen were so vivid that I could imagine which actresses I would cast in the movie. She made me care about each of these women within a few pages of meeting them. So much so that I'm hoping for a sequel!
Rating: 
Summary: Bees annoy me and I don't eat much honey, BUT........
Review: I heard about this book a while back (a short review in a magazine, possibly PEOPLE) and thought it might be worth a try. I am very into coming-of-age stories, so that is probably what sparked my interest. However, several coming-of-age stories have disappointed me over the years, so it's always a game of chance. This book turned out to be just the ticket for my taste, I really enjoyed it. The people are all described in a wonderful way so that I was able to "see" them, and even to wish that they were real and that I knew them. I wish I could go to May's wailing wall with all of them. The little "header" above each chapter was a great idea.
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Summary: Bees as teachers
Review: Everything the previous reviewers have said about this book is absolutely true- a delightful,poignant joureny of a young girl's teenage years in a time of strife in the South.I would like to offer anpther point of view- My husband bought this book for me Valentine's Day because we keep bees. The lore and wisdom expressed in this charming book brought tears to my eyes more than once. Sue Monk Kidd so beautifully articulated the admiration that those of us fortunate enough to keep bees have developed.How we can relate these tales to our own lives!
Bees seem to have hit a resonance lately. Bees by Rudolph Steiner (an older book) and some passages in Prodigal Summer (Barbara Kingsolver) give more bee stories.The draping of the beehives when a keeper dies is an ancient custom. I only wish poor May had been buried under the hives! These wonderful sisters, strong, resilient, so beautiful as well!
Rating:
Summary: Sweet as Honey~
Review: The Secret Life of Bees will sting your heart right from the first page. I fell in love with the the main character, Lily, immediately. Lily is a 14-year old girl growing up on a peach farm with a cold & abusive father, T-Ray. When a mishap occurs over the newly enacted Civil Rights Movement, Lily and her black caretaker, Rosaleen, flee from town.By a series of events that can be nothing short of divine intervention, little white Lily, and big, black Rosaleen end up in the charming South Carolina home of three sisters, May, June & August. While Rosaleen bonds with May in the kitchen cooking good old-southern cooking, Lily works with August as a beekeeper's apprentice. Each chapter of The Secret Life of Bees begins with a charming "life of a bee" fact that relates to the chapter that follows. As the story unwinds, secrets of a painful past are revealed, but simultaneously a new and happy life is created. You will experience some painful endings as well as some happy and hopeful beginnings.The Secret Life of Bee's is about facing our pasts, accepting them and finding the "mother in ourselves" to move ahead with strength & love. It's about friendships that aren't bound by color or society, and ultimately about love. This novel, by Sue Monk Kidd now holds a special place in my heart as one of my all time favorite reads.
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Summary: The Secret Life of Bees
Review: Excellent read--Oprahesk. Old south plain folk charm with a base in the reality of racism. This fine story made me laugh out loud and weep. It is a story you want all your women friends to read to feel the warmth of shared motherhood--whether you've been a mother or not is unimportant. I am also a beekeeper. The love and art of beekeeping are true--Sue Monk Kidd knows bees, and people and the heart.
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Summary: Deserves MORE Stars
Review: This book was incredible. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I only write reviews about books I feel very strongly about. This one captures you from the first chapter and draws you in deeper and deeper as you read. You can empathize with all the characters, even those you don't like. The Secret Life of Bees could be an Oprah book, except that it is too wonderful! The vivid descriptions, characters with depth - this book has it all!! I only hope that Sue Monk Kidd will come out with a sequel, as I feel there is more of the story to tell.
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Summary: Honey anyone???
Review: I work in a book store, and this is my pick of the year!!! I am giving it to all my oldest & dearest friends this year for their birthdays, with a jar of honey, of course. This book is original, soulful and beautifully written. It captured my heart, and I could not put it down. This book read true-to-life. It told the story of a girl coming of age, who inspite of her torment, was big enough to admit and recognize her own imperfections, which made you love her character more. It also told of unconditional love, the kind that makes you want to be a better person.
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Summary: SOUTHERN WRITING AT ITS BEST
Review: This novel is a real page turner. I read a lot and I found this book to be the best I have read this month. The author brings us right into the story and made me feel as if I knew these lovable characters. A very thoughtful forgiving story. Makes us realize that a family is not always the one you are born into. Hope Sue Monk Kidd writes many more novels.....I will read all of them
Rating:
Summary: An amazing allegory.
Review: Even though occasionally I found the metaphor and symbolism a bit heavy-handed, almost overwhelming, this is a unique and lovely book. Readers who appreciate the richness and power of figurative language will enjoy this lyrical story from a gifted new writer.
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Summary: Sue Monk Kidd's "The Secret Lives of Bees"
Review: I bought this book because of a review I read and because I like Sue Monk Kidd, but it surpassed my expectations. She did such a great job of describing Lily Owens, her father, the desire for love from a mother who may have left her and how she found love in the most unusual way. Ms. Kidd touched so many aspects of hidden feelings in the various people. To use black people honoring Mary, the mother of Jesus, was also a real twist. I loved it and could hardly put the book down and have recommended it for my local book club to read.
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