Summary:
Set in 1964 in the deeply racist town of Sylvan, South Carolina, The Secret Life of Bees is a story of grief and wanting to be loved. Lily Owens lived with her father on his peach farm. After years of living with a father who does not love her, she feels deeply unloved. When her black nanny insults three of the biggest racists in town, Lily finally runs away, Rosaleen, with her. Rosaleen and Lily go to the one place that Lily has always wanted to go: Tiburon. She only has three things of her mother's (who died when Lily was four) and written on the back of a picture of her mom's says, "Tiburon, South Carolina".
Lily and Rosaleen are taken in by a quirky trio of beekeeping sisters, August, May, and June.
The sisters help Lily uncover the grief over Lily's mom, who Lily accidentally killed when the gun she was holding went off without warning. They help her see that everyone can be, and deserves to be loved.
Profanity:
God's name taking in vain, D word, S word, and B word. (Profanity is heavy in the first few chapters, but it seriously dies down after Lily runs away).
Romance:
A kiss between two teens.
Violence:
Lily remembers her mother's death. Someone kills themselves by drowning. Some men hit a woman.
Age Suggestion:
14+
My Opinion:
This book had me crying. A lot. Which was really unfortunate because I was reading it at midnight in my bed... and I am not a quiet crier...
Anyway, this book has so many great messages. I have a theory, that there are two different types of books. The books that take you away from reality (fairy tales, dystopians) and then there are books that teach you something. Books that dig deeper into reality instead of taking you away from it, you could say. This is one of the ones that you wouldn't want to live in. One that teaches us something. Sometimes you just need one of those books, you know?
This is definitely one of my favorite books. You should give it a try! :)
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