The Secret Life of Bees is one of those marvelous books that changes your life for the better. It is one of my favorite books, and I will treasure it always. My mom has loved this book for years and years and introduced me to it, and it's something we can share and love together. And now I just love bees so much!
I love to read historical fiction, and one of my favorite times to read and learn about is the U.S. in the 1960's. (My other favorite thing to read about are wars, fyi!)
The Secret Life of Bees is set in South Carolina in 1964, so it's hard times all around. This story will have you laughing and crying and laughing and crying some more. I love how it's written, Sue Monk Kidd has such a beautiful way with words. It is narrated by fourteen-year-old Lily, who is so smart and has just enough teenage sass to keep the dialogue moving.
Here is the book's description:
"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 black 'stand-in mother', Rosaleen, insults three of the town's most vicious 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 continue to share and pass on to their daughters for years to come."
I just can't stop raving about this book to everyone. There are so many things to take and learn from and apply.
"After you get stung, you can't get unstung no matter how much you whine about it."
"Every little thing just wants to be loved."
"She liked to tell everybody that women made the best beekeepers, 'cause they have a special ability built into them to love creatures that sting..."
"Some things don't matter much. Like the color of a house. How big is that in the overall scheme of life? But lifting a person's heart- now that matters. The whole problem with people is they know what matters, but they don't choose it. The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters."
Please. Read this book!!
The movie they made for this book is so good. The casting is INCREDIBLE and spot on. Definitely a must-see, whether you read the book or not.
Hilary
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