- Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Headline Review; New edition edition (3 April 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0755330692
- ISBN-13: 978-0755330690
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (132 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,108,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Secret Life of Bees
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
'Eccentric, inventive, and ultimately forgiving... a truly original Southern voice' (Anita Shreve )
'This is a wonderful book, by turns funny, sad, full of incident and shot through with grown-up magic reminiscent of Joanne Harris.' (Daily Telegraph )
'A honey-sweet novel' (Elle )
'Monk Kidd has created a narrative as skilful and sweet as a honeycomb. Uplifting and warm-hearted, this is a moving novel and Lily is a fascinating, funny and clever narrator' (Literary Review )
'Kidd's first novel is well placed, gentle and deeply moving' (The Times ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
'This is a wonderful book, by turns funny, sad, full of incident and shot through with grown-up magic reminiscent of Joanne Harris.' (Daily Telegraph )
'A honey-sweet novel' (Elle )
'Monk Kidd has created a narrative as skilful and sweet as a honeycomb. Uplifting and warm-hearted, this is a moving novel and Lily is a fascinating, funny and clever narrator' (Literary Review )
'Kidd's first novel is well placed, gentle and deeply moving' (The Times ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
The Big Issue
'A wonderful modern fairy tale...a touching story with a memorable cast of characters' The Big Issue
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book tells the story of a white girl trying to grow up in the racially divided deep south in the 1960s, with a father who doesn't love her and no mother following her death when the main character was just four. The author has written the story well, weaving in a number of characters, most of whom you care about enough to hope things turn out well for them in the end.
There are a few twists in the book, but it is not a complicated read. It is the sort of book you can curl up with and relax, but it is not one to make you think or that will change the world. However, I did find it quite addictive and a page turner, which is why I rated it at four stars, not three. This was not in a gripping, edge of the seat, what will happen next kind of way, more in the sense of how will it all work out in the end?
Worth borrowing from the library, or buying to take on holiday if you want a light, entertaining read.
There are a few twists in the book, but it is not a complicated read. It is the sort of book you can curl up with and relax, but it is not one to make you think or that will change the world. However, I did find it quite addictive and a page turner, which is why I rated it at four stars, not three. This was not in a gripping, edge of the seat, what will happen next kind of way, more in the sense of how will it all work out in the end?
Worth borrowing from the library, or buying to take on holiday if you want a light, entertaining read.
120 of 130 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Forget the title - this is a heart-wrenching, beautiful book and I urge you to read it, whatever your usual reading matter. The narrator of this novel, Lily, grows up unloved and believing that she accidentally killed her mother at the age of four. She starts her story "the summer I turned fourteen", and Sue Monk Kidd perfectly captures the awkward restlessness of the teenager, longing for love, yearning to discover the truth and fearful of what will emerge. The casual references to racial attitudes in South Carolina in 1964 are shocking, and the unique beekeeping sisters she finishes up with stay with you and haunt you long after you finish the book. Poignant and humorous by turns, the tale brought tears to my eyes on several occasions, something which has never happened before in my wide reading history. An added bonus are the wonderful facts you will learn about bees... I really can't recommend this book strongly enough!!!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have made it a point of reading inspirational books which can help me have a positive outlook to life. Though it reads like a non-fictional memoir, "The Secret Life of Bees" even though it is fictitious, has been tremendously helpful to me as an inspirational book. It is brilliantly written with amazing details and beautiful settings. It showed the unique creativity of the author. This hard to put down book, is sure to capture your heart with its imagery.
Sue Monk Kidd does a brilliant job of laying out a storyline that is not only believable, but is interesting as well. I could not put this book down. Lily Owens will capture your heart. Despite the abuse from the hands of her father T. Ray, she turned out to be a survivor. Sharing her destiny with the beekeeping sisters, and their Black Madonna honey, she finally attains some emotional security in her life. May, one of the sisters is someone who inspires. This is a novel for young adults and adults, because at 14, Lily fights with the hazy memory of her dead mother whom she misses and longs for in rural South Carolina of 1964, where racial violence is inescapable. She finds solace in her surrogate mother - the family's black servant, Rosaleen, who later becomes a victim of racial hatred. It moved on to the escape of Lily and Rosaleen, the search for the identity of Lily's mother's identity and the quest for a sense of belonging in her life This journey led Lily and Rosaleen into the lives of three strange but alluring beekeepers who set Lily who helped Lily to grow up and be at peace with her family and its history.
The story is told through Lily's eyes, mouth, mind and heart, and as such it is deep, hilarious and inspiring. When we read about the beehive and honey-making, we get the sense that Lily has a deep desire for nurturance, owing to the absence of a mother in her life. The Secret Life of Bees will certainly strike a chord with any family.I recommend :The Usurper and Other stories, Tractor in Ukrainian,Disciples of Fortune , The Mermaid Chair. I also enjoyed them.
Sue Monk Kidd does a brilliant job of laying out a storyline that is not only believable, but is interesting as well. I could not put this book down. Lily Owens will capture your heart. Despite the abuse from the hands of her father T. Ray, she turned out to be a survivor. Sharing her destiny with the beekeeping sisters, and their Black Madonna honey, she finally attains some emotional security in her life. May, one of the sisters is someone who inspires. This is a novel for young adults and adults, because at 14, Lily fights with the hazy memory of her dead mother whom she misses and longs for in rural South Carolina of 1964, where racial violence is inescapable. She finds solace in her surrogate mother - the family's black servant, Rosaleen, who later becomes a victim of racial hatred. It moved on to the escape of Lily and Rosaleen, the search for the identity of Lily's mother's identity and the quest for a sense of belonging in her life This journey led Lily and Rosaleen into the lives of three strange but alluring beekeepers who set Lily who helped Lily to grow up and be at peace with her family and its history.
The story is told through Lily's eyes, mouth, mind and heart, and as such it is deep, hilarious and inspiring. When we read about the beehive and honey-making, we get the sense that Lily has a deep desire for nurturance, owing to the absence of a mother in her life. The Secret Life of Bees will certainly strike a chord with any family.I recommend :The Usurper and Other stories, Tractor in Ukrainian,Disciples of Fortune , The Mermaid Chair. I also enjoyed them.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A sweet tale but no sting
This was one of the Kindle Store's recommendations and, whilst this wasn't one of their best, that's not to say it wasn't enjoyable (in a low key kind of way). Read more
Published 14 days ago by Kindle Junkie
Really liked it
After the animated film with a similar title (which was awful) I was wary of this book. However I was proved wrong this book is a real page turner. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Rhona
Nicole's review
A lovely book! Lily is 14 and misses the love of her mother (whose death she is responsible for) and of her father (who appears incapable of any love). Read more
Published 1 month ago by Nicole
Secret Life of Bees
Absolutely loved this book from start to finish, in fact felt very sad when I had finished the book. Want more like this, brilliant.
Published 1 month ago by Mrs T MacGillivray
Forced story
I started to read this book with great expectations as it has got so many good reviews, but was bitterly disappointed as I found the story not only forced but also dull. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Hannah
A good book group choice
I had read this book once before it was chosen as our book group choice, but I read it again anyway. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jan
Life affirming
A lovely read. Well written with humour and pathos. A story of childhood and innocence from a very interesting perspective.
Published 2 months ago by A. Davis
An Excellent Read
This is a complete gem of a book. I bought it as a holiday read and could not put it down. It is incredibly well written and you can easily empathise with the characters. Read more
Published 2 months ago by J.C.B
The Secret Life of Bees
I bought this book from Amazon as I thought I had lost my original copy, which was sent to me by a friend in Canada. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Marie Caltieri
A very moving wonderful book
I was totally engrossed in this book. It's definitely one not to be missed. I read it in one day and became totally involved in the lives of the characters.
Published 2 months ago by Ann
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
