Brittany Hood
Period 2

The Secret Life of Bees

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is an inspiring tale about a young fourteen year old girl named lilly who is living in South Carolina in 1964. Throughout the story the narrator follows Lily's journey of renewal. Lily lived with only her father and her housekeeper Rosaleen who had been thrown in jail and beaten by a few racist men. After lily broke Rosaleen out of the hospital they started off on their journey together in search of a new start where the two of them could be at peace and find a permanent place to call home. With this mindset they eventually come across a farm where three woman live as beekeepers. Lily navigated herself here by visiting an address on the back of a picture she had of the black Mary, which belonged to her now deceased mother, which had Tiburon, SC written on it. Lily and Rosaleen made their way to Tiburon and there they entered a small general store for lunch where they saw the same picture on a honey jar. The store clerk led them to this farm and there they lived with three women and learned the ways of beekeeping. There Lily discovers many truths and emotions that she never had expected. 

I do not believe that this book should have a specific age requirement to read because it is an absolutely wonderful and wholesome story following a young girl, which I think many people can relate to in one way or another. In chapter eight, August, once of the three beekeeping women, explained to Lily that, "most people don't have any idea about all the complicated life going on inside a hive. Bees have a secret life we don't know anything about." To me this quote is not only significant because it reflects the title of the book, but I also think it sums up the entirety of the point the book is trying to make very well. Lily had gone to these peoples home and they accepted her and let her in without knowing what her life really was, despite the lies Lily had fed them. They accepted her, white skin and all, and let her into their lives and have her a home. The south in the 60's was still a heavily segregated time and for a young white girl to be accepted into the home of three religious black women is a bit unusual. Overall