The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Blurb:
"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 black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna."
My Review:
I love this book!!!! It has some kind of a hold on me, it's strange, but I love it! I love the writing. Sue Monk Kidd is an excellent writer. I love the detail, the description, the characters, the plot, the feeling, everything.....except the language. The first 50 pages have A LOT of language in them. After that it isn't too bad; there are a few words here and there. If you want to read it but don't want to read the first 50 pages then call me and I'll tell you what happens. Or, the summary above sums it up pretty well. I love how true to life it seems, even though it happened many years before I was born. I love the conflict in each of the characters. The character development is excellent. Each of the women feel like your best friend or next door neighbor. I also enjoyed watching the growth that each of the characters made over the course of the book. The symbolism with the bees is a wonderful addition that adds depth to the story. I just really love this book. Okay, I hope you don't get your expectations too high now, but it's really good.
Rating: R (Remember....this rating does not follow the actual movie ratings...it's just my method of saying it is not appropriate for younger readers.) There is A LOT of language in the first 50 pages and I wouldn't recommend it to someone who doesn't want to read a lot of language, and it is not appropriate for children or early teens. Language, some racial conflict, and death.
Recommendation: I would recommend it (with the warning above) to 18+ years. I definitely recommend it, even if you need to skip the first 50 pages!
*This review was first published on 2/23/10
3 comments:
I read this years ago, but I still remember it pretty well. The characters were beautifully written. They're the type of characters that stay with you.
I agree with you completely. The characters are one of the best parts of this book. The definitely stay with you. Thanks for your comment!
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