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About this Book
Trade Paperback
320 Pages, 5.1 x 7.85 x 0.65 IN
January 28, 2003
Penguin Usa
0142001740
9780142001745
From Our Editors
The Secret Life of Bees has a rare wisdom about
life--about mothers and daughters and the women in our lives who
become our true mothers. A remarkable story about the divine power
of women and the transforming power of love, this is a stunning
debut whose rich, assured, irresistible voice gathers us up and
doesn't let go, not for a moment. It is the kind of novel that
women share with each other and that mothers will hand down to
their daughters for years to come.
From the Publisher
Sue Monk Kidd''s ravishing debut novel has stolen the hearts of reviewers and readers alike with its strong, assured voice. Set in South Carolina in 1964, "The Secret Life of Bees" tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily''s fierce-hearted "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the town''s fiercest racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother''s past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love--a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.
About the Author
Sue Monk Kidd is the author of two widely
acclaimed non-fiction books, The Dance of the Dissident
Daughter and When the Heart Waits. She has won a
Poets and Writers Award for the story that began this novel as well
as a Katherine Anne Porter Award, and a Bread Loaf Scholarship. Her
fiction has appeared in several literary journals, and two of her
short stories, including an excerpt from The Secret Life of
Bees, were selected as notable stories in Best American
Short Stories. She lives beside a salt marsh near Charleston,
South Carolina, with her husband. The Secret Life of Bees
is her first novel.
From the Critics
A moving first novel...Lily is an authentic and winning character and her story is compellingly told. ("USA Today") Inspiring. Sue Monk Kidd is a direct literary descendant of Carson McCullers. ("The Baltimore Sun")
See all Heather's Reviews
Heather's Review
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Heather Reisman
2 years ago
I just loved The Secret Life of Bees. I was drawn into this book from the very first paragraph -- it's a story of sisterhood and the soul, written for those of us who prefer happy endings with a sense of realism. First-time novelist Sue Monk Kidd is going to be one to watch.
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Reviews from the Community67 Reviews
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Sara
2 months ago
This book was hard to get into and read at first, but after the second chapter when everything starts to happen, it gets more interesting and intense. The Secret Life of the Bees is also a easy novel to read. It took me two days to finish, and i really liked it.
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Linda Walter
This review is from: Secret Life Of Bees A Novel (Hardcover)
10 months ago
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, took me back to my childhood. The characters were beautifully portrayed and the plot well developed with enough twists and turns to keep you up late at night reading.
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liz
This review is from: The Secret Life of Bees (Hardcover)
6 years ago
i had to read this book for school and i was like ehhhh but when i started i couldnt put it down. some parts i found boring but overall it was very interesting and i enjoyed it very much! + read more
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SarahDessenFan
8 months ago
i love it when i come across a book that leaves you so sad when it ends, and so moved by it. This book is a story of hardship, love, female power, and so much more. it's wonderful, and beautifully written. a must read for all girls
there's two downsides to the book. one: in the middle of the book it started getting boring, when lily is living at August's house. it just goes on forever with no action.
two: why was the only white man in the whole story a bad father who basically abused his… + read more
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Anonymous
This review is from: Secret Life Of Bees A Novel (Hardcover)
3 years ago
This book was a heartwarming journey of the main character -- the rediscovery of her faith in human kindness and honesty. The author explores the character's relationship with herself through a series of challenging choices.....and developing friendships with strangers. The final settling is not predictable and remains true to the development of the main character. I thoroughly enjoyed each heart tugging, sad, silly part of this book.
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Marie-Ann
This review is from: The Secret Life of Bees (Hardcover)
7 years ago
A great book! I totally loved it! A great book about a girl, Lily, who tries to find out more about her mother but finds herself. She finds comfort in the calender sister's home. Their relationships start to slowly bond together. A book that lets us look into the lives of those during the period of dr.martin luther king. + read more
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SarahDessenFan
8 months ago
i love it when i come across a book that leaves you so sad when it ends, and so moved by it. This book is a story of hardship, love, female power, and so much more. it's wonderful, and beautifully written. a must read for all girls
there's two downsides to the book. one: in the middle of the book it started getting boring, when lily is living at August's house. it just goes on forever with no action.
two: why was the only white man in the whole story a bad father who basically abused his… + read more
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Anonymous
This review is from: Secret Life Of Bees A Novel (Hardcover)
3 years ago
This book was a brilliantly poetic account of a young girl, Lily, who's tragic loss of her mother profoundly affected every aspect of her life. She endured emotional abuse from her father who was a bitter and selfish man, unable to show affection for his only child. Lily's African American nanny, Rosaleen was a blessing in disguise as the two embark on an adventure to escape the lives that they had known. They move on to a world where the epicenter was A Pink House filled with love, despair… + read more
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michele sutcliffe
This review is from: The Secret Life of Bees (Hardcover)
7 years ago
It's about time I read a book where a young lady, Lily, gets what she asks for. Here, in this day of age, someone finally writes about the importance of family. I would read it again and again. + read more
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bananna
9 months ago
At first, I thought it was a boring book about honey or something. But it wasn`t !! It was about the times in history that we will never forget. When things went too far, and you had nothing to fall back on. This book brought to life what I never expected. You`d think that the it would be boring, but it wasn`t. It was very good, and I loved it.
4/5
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michele
This review is from: The Secret Life of Bees (Hardcover)
7 years ago
I enjoyed this book a lot. When or where can you find a book that you don't want to finish because you don't want to say goodbye to the characters? It is a real good read. + read more
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Caiti McLelland
- Indigo Employee
- Most Interesting
11 months ago
"The Secret Life Of Bees" is an inspiring story of how a young white girl, Lily, is brought up by a troubled man, T. Ray. Lily's mother dies when she is only 4 years old and it becomes her quest to find out the truth of her mother's, Deborah, life.
Lily and her nanny, Rosaleen, travel to South Carolina on a quest to find "the black Mary", a photo that was once Deborah's. Lily not only finds "the black Mary" on her journey, but she meets a wide variety of people that can offer her insight… + read more
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Francesca
This review is from: The Secret Life of Bees (Hardcover)
7 years ago
This was an amazing book! I was drawn to it from the very first sentence. Sue Monk Kidd is an amazing author and this is a book that everyone should definitely read! The characters are very interesting and anyone who enjoys a great read will love this book!
see all 67 reviews
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