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Most Helpful Favorable Review
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
An Array of Feelings
This book is a roller coaster of emotions. It begins with sympathy for a young girl who is living in a abusive environment. She escapes the mental and physical abuse along housekeeper who is subjected to violent racial injustice, but refuses to be put down. They both...Read More
This book is a roller coaster of emotions. It begins with sympathy for a young girl who is living in a abusive environment. She escapes the mental and physical abuse along housekeeper who is subjected to violent racial injustice, but refuses to be put down. They both find a haven with surprising connections. This book covers a lot of feelings in a honest and sometimes very funny way. There is sadness, hate, love, fear and humor wrapped up in a neat little book. This should not be missed - a classic in the making.Show Less
posted by Jude39 on March 16, 2009
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5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
The Secret Life of Bees earns a "C"
Though Ms. Kidd's writing is beautifully evocative,"Bees" needed much tighter editing in the last half of the book. For a teenage girl who had a self admittted fault of talking too much,the plot line of Lily waiting so long to ask August about her mother just did not ri...Read More
Though Ms. Kidd's writing is beautifully evocative,"Bees" needed much tighter editing in the last half of the book. For a teenage girl who had a self admittted fault of talking too much,the plot line of Lily waiting so long to ask August about her mother just did not ring true.Show Less
posted by Anonymous on November 25, 2002
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Jude39
Posted March 16, 2009
An Array of Feelings
This book is a roller coaster of emotions. It begins with sympathy for a young girl who is living in a abusive environment. She escapes the mental and physical abuse along housekeeper who is subjected to violent racial injustice, but refuses to be put down. They both find a haven with surprising connections. This book covers a lot of feelings in a honest and sometimes very funny way. There is sadness, hate, love, fear and humor wrapped up in a neat little book. This should not be missed - a classic in the making.
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Very Good!!
I'm only eleven years old and loved the book. I got it at the library after seeing the trailer to the movie. It is a very humbling book. I don't think that kids under 13 should read it though. It has lots of cursing and is extremly descriptive in parts it shouldn't be. It was an awsome book though. Please read it you will love it!!!
P.S. The books i recomended are even better!!!7 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted November 25, 2002
The Secret Life of Bees earns a "C"
Though Ms. Kidd's writing is beautifully evocative,"Bees" needed much tighter editing in the last half of the book. For a teenage girl who had a self admittted fault of talking too much,the plot line of Lily waiting so long to ask August about her mother just did not ring true.
5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted February 23, 2009
I decided to read the book prior to watching the movie. I felt like I was there with the characters. I was able to picture the time and place of the story. Definitely recommend this.
This book is definitely a womans book. You read the hardships they faced. The racial conflicts.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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The audio rendition brings this beautiful story to life...
The story was eloquent, well written, and poignant, but what I think really grabbed me and kept my keen interest was the narration by Jenna Lamia. Her voice was as fluid and sweet as honey and her story-telling just brought you right into the story. One could almost be convinced Lily Owens was an actual person and Jenna's voice was really Lily's as she told you the story of her summer. I loved listening to the audiobook and when recommending this book to anyone, I always tell them you cannot fully appreciate the beauty of this story without hearing Jenna's narration of it on audiobook. I've listened to it twice already.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted September 30, 2005
Trite
How can a writer fit so many cliches into one short book? Gratingly predictable. A definite screenplay for a Lifetime movie.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted November 24, 2003
Good story until the end
I read the great reader reviews and bought this book with great expectations. I really let myself get taken away with the young girl's story - in fact, couldn't put the book down. I was so disappointed in the ending. It was simply too cut and dry for my taste and unbelievable, especially after the rest of the story was told in such rich and mostly believable detail. I'm sorry to say, the ending simply ruined the book for me.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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misslevana
Posted February 18, 2012
Highly Recommended - you must check it out!!
this is a heart warming story of a girl who stuggles to forgive herself and to overcome they cruelty of sergration. Sue Monk Kidd wrote an amazing story full of love, heartbreak and an inspiration to all who read this book.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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8671662
Posted July 27, 2011
Just as great as the movie. One of the best books that took place long ago that I've ever read.
THIS BOOK IS SOOOOOO GOOD! It takes place back when whites and blacks werw still goin' through that iffy period of dating and befriending each other. Lily, the main character, is just one of those people you have to love. Even though it took place a longntime ago, it wasn't boring at all. A must read for all ages and races!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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I Was Underwhelmed but it Wasn't Bad
I kept being told to read this book and that it was amazing, and after I read it I was sort of disappointed. Maybe the book was too over hyped for me or perhaps it just isn't for me, but I found it just to be ok. I can see how it would be a good read for a lot of people and there is a lot of meaning and tough times behind it, but it didn't hold my attention very well and I don't find myself wanting to reread it. Overall, it was just ok.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Enchanting: The Secret Life of Bees
This novel is truly one of my favorites. The reader immediately develops sympathies for the protagonist, a young motherless teenage girl on a journey to find a sense of belonging and security in the world. I connected with so many elements of the novel: the southern setting, the idea of a religion/spirituality outside the normal constraints of a church, the many strong female characters, and the interesting nonfiction tidbits woven throughout the plot concerning the habitat of bees.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted February 20, 2010
I love this book!
I love this book! I wish the language weren't so bad in the first 50 or so pages, but other than that it is an incredible book.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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A outstanding and moving novel...
The Secret Life of Bees is a wonderful novel which kept me wanting more and more by every turning page. The novel starts off in South Carolina in the year 1964. Lily Owens is a 14 year old girl who is the main character of the novel. The whole entire plot surrounds around her blurry memory of her mothers death and her motherless life. She lives with her father T-Ray and nanny/best friend Rosaleen. Rosaleen use to work on T-Ray's peach farm but after the death of Deborah, Lily's mom, she quickly took the roll as nanny. Lily decided to join Rosaleen one day while she went to go vote. While going there Rosaleen started to get harassed by a group of racist, she immediately affronts the group. The officers come and beat her then they arrested both Lily and her. T-Ray comes around later to pick up Lily but not Rosaleen. Before all this happened Lily use to watch bees fly around her ceiling and she use to collect them in a jar. After she got arrested she saw how the bees escaped the confines of the jar, she got a epiphany to run away. She goes to the hospital where Rosaleen is held for her injuries and breaks her out. They both start running away to Tiburon, South Carolina. Lily wanted to go here because she saw that address on a black Virgin Mary she found in her mothers stuff. She discovers later on that the Black Virgin Mary is a label for honey maker in that town. In their search they find a pink house with three eccentric sisters, August, June, and May Boatwright. This is where the rest of novel takes place and where Lily has a life changing experience. I really love this book it has so much detail and the characters have such personality sometimes I could almost imagine it in my head perfectly. Even though many people might have found the ending to be dull or leave a reader hanging I found it to be very satisfying and it suited the novel's plot very well. From start to finish I don't think I reach a moment where I might have gotten bored. I would suggest this book to everyone except very young kids because the language and extremely descriptive parts aren't suitable. Otherwise this novel is a must read for anyone looking for something for fun, free time, school or just about anything. I really suggest this book to everyone out there it has to be one of the best books I have read in a while.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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k-dub
Posted September 15, 2009
secret life of bees
I really enjoyed The Secret Life of Bees. When I was first told that I had to read it I was kind of disappointed. I started reading and it was so good! The book was about a girl by the name of Lily. She was 14 years old and had no mother. She was told by her father, T-Ray, that she killed her. Lily was sick of T-ray and decided to run away from him. She found a box with her mother's stuff in it and found the name of a town: Tiburon, South Carolina. Lily and her nanny, Rosaleen, ran away. Lily gets to Tiburon and is looking for the black Mary on anything. She soon found it in a grocery store. It was on a honey bottle. She asked where it was from and the grocery store guy said it was from and he told her. She finds herself face to face with a bright pink house. She meets June Boatwright and then August Boatwright. She asks if she can have a place to stay and August gladly accepts her. Lily then lives in the honey house with Rosaleen. May Boatwright is the next person she meets, then the Daughters of Mary. She loves all of them immediately, except June. She doesn't get along with her. Then she meets Zach and starts to like him. Lily lies to all of the people I just mentioned for a while and eventually the truth had to come out. She tells August everything. Many other things happen so I recommend you read the book.
I really liked this book and would recommend it because it is full of suspense and action. A few things might even surprise you! It's a book you will want to read over and over again. I thought the author's message was that life is short and everybody has things in their life that they're not proud of. I learned that people's lives are hard and they need at least one good friend that they can rely on. People are not always as they seem even if they pretend everything is perfect.1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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b-thorson
Posted September 15, 2009
READ THIS BOOK!!
I personally enjoyed Secret Life of Bees. It really made me look at people's lives a different way. Most of the time I didn't understand what was going on because I hadn't experienced a traumatic crisis like that. I still enjoyed the book though.
Lily, a 14 year old girl, learns the worst thing ever. T. Ray, her father, told her that she killed her mother. Lily didn't believe it one bit because she loves her mother even though she died. Her step-in mom was an African American named Rosaleen. Rosaleen wasn't a step mother, but Lily saw her as a mom. When Rosaleen goes into town to register to vote, something bad happens. So after Lily does everything in her power to make it right, she decides to run away. Earlier she had found a box that was full with her mother's belongings. On the back of a picture there was writing, it said Tiburon, South Carolina. So when Lily and Rosaleen run away, that is the first place Lily looks. Little to her surprise, she found what she was looking for. The picture was of Black Madonna, and it was on a honey jar. So Lily decides to go find out what the people knew about her mother. She ended up at a bee farm with 3 African American ladies, August, June, and May. Lily didn't tell them the truth of why she was there and decided to keep it a secret until the right time. Many things happened before Lily told the truth, but eventually it can out. Lily found everything she needed to know, and she was pleased with herself. When all was said and done she realized she couldn't go back home, she was a fugitive for running away. T. Ray finds out where she is staying and.. Well you'll just have to read the book and find out.
Sue Monk Kidd is an amazing writer. Maybe you won't like Secret Life of Bees, but you never know until you read it and find out. She wrote this book like she experienced it. There are times in it, when you lose track of reality and just stay in the book. Read the book and you'll see that really good.1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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coming of age tale
Set in the 1960's US in a time of racial tensions Lily narrates her coming of age tale. Lily flees her abusive father and the police with her nanny Rosaleen to find more of her mother's history. She goes to live with the three calendar sisters who have a profound influence on her life. August adopts her as a daughter and helps her to forgive herself and love others. It is a celebration of family and motherhood. Vivid description and enchanting characters record Lily's journey to womanhood in a Kidd's unique southern voice.
Reviewed by Annette Dunlea author of Always and Forever and The Honey Trap1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted May 6, 2009
The Finest Book I've Ever Read: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The story of young Lily Melissa Owens in Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees is a heartwarming adventure of a young girl who tries to find her place in the world. In her fourteen years, she has carried with her a sorrowful regret that has emotionally stunted her growth. When she was four years old, she accidently killed her mother, Deborah. Her thoughts of that tragic day have caused her to live her life in flashbacks and everyday she wishes she could turn back time. Sue Monk Kidd takes Lily on a journey in discovery of her life and the life of her mother. With only a few clues of her mother (an old picture, her white gloves, and a wooden picture of black Mary) and the small amount of stories her father, T. Ray, has told her, Lily begins her new life. With a sincere pleasure of writing and her delicate, balanced tone, Sue Monk Kidd captivated my interest from the first page, and I had no choice but to find out how Lily's life was going to end up. In order to read this book, you must awaken all of your senses. Kidd takes her readers to places that feel familiar and I felt as if I was able to reach into the book and touch Lily's face, lift her head up, and tell her that everything will turn out just fine. I felt a genuine connection with Lily, one greater than with any other book I have read. She reminded me of what my life was like as a fourteen-year-old, and I could not imagine carrying as big a burden as she had at that age. To say I love this book would be an understatement. Sue Monk Kidd's use of language delighted me and left me feeling satisfied with not only the story, but with the greater world, the meaning of family, and the places in my mind where I have recently remembered love's true meaning.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted March 16, 2009
Easy read, warm and interesting characters, nice story
If you like movies/stories like Man In The Moon, Fried Green Tomatoes and My Girl - then you will definitely like this one. I loved the characters and wish I even knew them. I recommended it to my mother.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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AngelladyL
Posted March 9, 2009
Best book I've read in a while
This book kept me on the edge of my seat. Each time I put it down I couldn't wait to pick it back up. If you have been through anything or if you haven't you will enjoy just taking this time out with these people. Also you will not want to finish this book. I only have praise for it. I know if you read it you won't be disappointed.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Theresa_Broderick
Posted March 9, 2009
The Secret Life of Bees
Well written fiction with several original characters, this novel is a good example of a "Coming of Age" story. I especially enjoyed the descriptive passages that appealed to all senses. Only one thing disturbed me--the swearing at the beginning of the story. It jarred, for some reason, possibly because the main character seemed so young. Good literature but not great.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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