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The Secret Life of Bees [Kindle Edition]

Sue Monk Kidd (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (132 customer reviews) |
Print List Price: £7.99
Kindle Price: £4.99 includes VAT* & free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
You Save: £3.00 (38%)
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Kindle Edition £4.99   -- --
Hardcover £14.14   -- --
Paperback £4.71   -- --
Audio, CD, Audiobook £23.41   -- --

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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 )

The Big Issue

'A wonderful modern fairy tale...a touching story with a memorable cast of characters' The Big Issue
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Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 456 KB
  • Print Length: 388 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0747266832
  • Publisher: Review (3 Feb 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language English
  • ASIN: B004P8ITOM
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (132 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,372 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

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More About the Author

Sue Monk Kidd
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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.
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120 of 130 people found the following review helpful
By Janette
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!!!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Moving story 28 Jan 2005
By Monica
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.
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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 8 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 27 days 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
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If you need something from somebody, always give that person a way to hand it to you. &quote;
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People who think dying is the worst thing dont know a thing about life. &quote;
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You have to find a mother inside yourself. We all do. Even if we already have a mother, we still have to find this part of ourselves inside. &quote;
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