- Paperback: 1 pages
- Publisher: Penguin; Reprint edition (2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0142001740
- ISBN-13: 978-0142001745
- Product Dimensions: 20.1 x 13.3 x 1.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (120 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 112,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Secret Life of Bees
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Product Description
Review
"A moving first novel...Lily is an authentic and winning character and her story is compellingly told. The bees presage her journey toward self-acceptance, faith and freedom that is at the heart of this novel." --USA Today
"Inspiring. Sue Monk Kidd is a direct literary descendant of Carson McCullers." --The Baltimore Sun
"Fully imagined...the core of this story is Lily''s search for a mother, and she finds one in a place she never expected." --The New York Times Book Review
"This is the story of a young girl''s journey toward healing, and of the intrinsic sacredness of living in the world. Simply wonderful." --Anne Rivers Siddons
""The stunning metaphors and realistic characters are so poignant they will bring tears to your eyes." --Library Journal
"Kidd has written a triumphant coming-of-age novel that speaks to the universal need for love" --New Orleans Times-Picayune
"The chapters...dance on t
The Big Issue
'A wonderful modern fairy tale...a touching story with a memorable cast of characters' The Big Issue
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Holiday reading at its best,
By
This review is from: The Secret Life of Bees (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.
119 of 129 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you never read another book, read this one!,
By Janette (South Yorkshire, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Secret Life of Bees (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!!!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Can't keep this a secret,
By b.lops (uk) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Secret Life of Bees (Paperback)
A truly charming book, wonderfully written, moving and heart-warming with a spiritual core. The main character is Lily, a motherless teenager who has been brought up by her bitter, angry father. Lily's journey to find something or someone to answer the questions and fill the gap that her mother's death has left within her takes her to a mesmerizing, soulful place in the American south. The year is 1964 and the civil rights act has just been signed which adds more tension to the story and provides an inspired backdrop to Lily's journey. The desciptions are beautiful, I could smell the honey, hear the bees and feel the heat. The characters are full and August Boatwright in particular is one I wish I knew in real life. Lily's thoughts and her anguish are written so well I was reading through tears. This is a moving story but not maudlin or depressing one, it is uplifting, full of heart and inspiration. Just a little footnote, if you enjoyed reading this I recommend you read A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly too.
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