The Secret Life of Bees

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Summary: Took this book along for the ride,
Review: The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd went to Chicago with me on the plane ride to and from. Couldn't think of a better traveling partner to take along! Buy it, try it, and enjoy it!

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Summary: The Secret Life of Bees
Review: Fourteen-year-old Lily and Rosaleen, the black woman who has been Lily's stand-in mother for ten years, take to the road in 1964. Rosaleen is escaping from jail after insulting the town's racists while Lily flees her abusive father and the haunting memory of her mother's violent death. They journey to Tiburon, South Carolina, because Lily found the place name on the back of a black Madonna picture among her late mother's possessions. Lily hopes that she will discover a link to her mother in the small town. There the runaways are sheltered by May, June, and August black beekeeping sisters who are also keepers of the truth Lily seeks. Lily finds the home she has always missed with the sisters and their eccentric friends. Lily learns more about her mother and herself from living with the sisters. This rich, engaging novel tells of loss and hope. Kidd is especially skilled at giving Lily a real voice. She has believable strengths, weaknesses, and reactions to the world around her. The other characters are wise and understanding mother figures, but Lily captures the reader. This novel also is of place and setting the oppressive heat, the swarming bees, the countryside smells, and the pervasive racism are experienced through Kidd's words. When Lily, who has always felt unlovable, realizes that she is loved by many and that "there is nothing perfect . . . there is only life," the novel draws to its expected and hoped-for conclusion. Older teenage girls will enjoy this comforting read about the search to "find the mother inside yourself . . . the strength and consolation and rescue, and all the other things we need to get through life."

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Summary: I laughed, I cried, I even put peanuts in my coke!
Review: This book really touched me, I totally fell in love with the characters. The last few chapters had me heaving with tears and at the end of the book I called my mother to tell her how much I love her (how sappy huh?). Although it is a very female centered novel, I think that men can enjoy it as well.

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Summary: A TRES, TRES, TRES, EXCELLENT BOOK !
Review: This book is the best book i've ever read...and i'm not joking! It takes you sometime to really have everything sink in. It's not a hard book to read but everything happens soooo incredibly fast that its like "woah! what just happened?" This book is a great book to read if you've lost someone really special because it tells you that you can't just weep everyday and feel sorry for yourself, you have to overcome that and not hide behind lies all your life.

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Summary: Words to images in my mind.
Review: From the first sentence I was hooked.
The author gives depth to her characters and their surroundings.
Get this book, read it and pass it on.
It's a beautiful story.

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Summary: Praise for Secret Life...
Review: The Secret Life of Bees is an excellent novel that anyone and everyone can enjoy! This book is filled with touching and brilliant adventures that thrilled me. From beginning to end, I loved this book and its story.
Lily, the young girl in this book, has a moving and mysterious story that opens the eyes of readers. This novel shows that love can come in all shapes, sizes, and people. In the setting, African Americans are still discriminated against and thought of as "lesser." Sue Monk Kidd proves that anyone can overcome their differences and love one another. This book is a must read that will make you want to read more about Lily's life beyond her days at the calendar sisters' honey house!

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Summary: Do Not Disturb
Review: This is the book I took with me on a business trip down south. I was content to flip the Do Not Disturb sign on the door and just spend my evenings absorbed in the story. The perfect read to compliment the surroundings. I enjoyed Sue Monk's style, a very unique compelling book.

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Summary: Excellent read!
Review: I belong to a book club and I have to say that this book is one of my all time favorites. The characters are wonderful. You will not be able to put it down.

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Summary: Lovely Read
Review: This is a lovely read. It captivates you so much so that you cannot put it down. The main character is a lovable young child who steals your heart. She is left alone with an emotionless father, a simple housekeeper and a town that is less than tolerant. I definitely recommended this book.

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Summary: THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
Review: Intelligent, sweet, poignant, strong, sad, and mystical. I loved it.