In Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, 14-year-old Lily Owen, neglected by her father and isolated on their South Carolina peach farm, spends hours imagining a blissful infancy when she was loved and nurtured by her mother, Deborah, whom she barely remembers. These consoling fantasies are her heart's answer to the family story that as a child, in unclear circumstances, Lily accidentally shot and killed her mother. All Lily has left of Deborah is a strange image of a Black Madonna, with the words "Tiburon, South Carolina" scrawled on the back. The search for a mother, and the need to mother oneself, are crucial elements in this well-written coming-of-age story set in the early 1960s against a background of racial violence and unrest. When Lily's beloved nanny, Rosaleen, manages to insult a group of angry white men on her way to register to vote and has to skip town, Lily takes the opportunity to go with her, fleeing to the only place she can think of--Tiburon, South Carolina--determined to find out more about her dead mother. Although the plot threads are too neatly trimmed, The Secret Life of Bees is a carefully crafted novel with an inspired depiction of character. The legend of the Black Madonna and the brave, kind, peculiar women who perpetuate Lily's story dominate the second half of the book, placing Kidd's debut novel squarely in the honored tradition of the Southern Gothic. --Regina Marler

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.

This book had a very bad ending to it. The author should have had a different outcome. Would not advise anyone to waste their time on this book.

I couldnt put this book down. I wanted to see the movie but I wanted to read the book first now I cant wait to see the movie. It is a book that warms the heart . Great JOB I cant wait for a sequel.

I enjoyed this book very much and in many situations it hit home with me. It was funny, sad and a learning experience. It will make you laugh, cry and think about what you have gone through and what it was like in the 60's.

sue monk kidd did a fabulous piece of work. i instantly became connected with all the characters the pain and hope lily has is so mature for her age. even though i really wanted her to tell the truth earlier and this could not really happen the plot is perfect. i adored the stories of black mary and all the love@the boatwrights give to lily and rosalene. she tells the story with such couragesnous it is a must read. great@ for women or girls preteen and up.

Sue Monk Kidd tells a story of love and understanding that forgives an era and sheds light on true intrinsic human emotions that are our shared legacy , no matter what the color is of ones skin .