The Secret Life of Bees

by Sue Monk Kidd

Dedication: "For my son, Bob, and Ann and Sandy with all my love"

First paragraph: "At night I would lie in bed and watch the show, how bees squeezed through the cracks of my bedroom wall and flew circles around the room, making that propeller sound, a high-pitched zzzzzzz that hummed along my skin. I watched their wings shining like bits of chrome in the dark and felt the longing build in my chest. The way those bees flew, not even looking for a flower, just flying for the feel of the wind, split my heart down its seam."

Review: Lily Owens lost her mother at a very early age and has spent her life trying to fill that void. At first she thought maybe her father could give her the love she desired but she learned early on that T-Ray (her father) wasn't born to love. On her fourteenth birthday a turn of events send Lily out on a quest to find her mother's past and a little of herself along the way.

This book is based in 1964 in South Carolina. That means you get a small glimpse at life after the civil rights movement but before things had really started to change. This coupled with the fact that there is an entire book full of characters you really learn to either love or loathe makes for a great read.

This book is full of thought provoking moments and even more wisdom. It really gives you something to consider. I think my favorite part of this book is the realization that often what we are looking for in life can be found either right inside of ourselves or in the places we least expect but visit often.

I had a hard time getting into the book but once I got into it, I was hooked - urging Lily to give up her fears and ask the right questions. Prodding her to move on. Etc. Etc.

Click here for Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees website.