| Book Review: The Secret Life of Bees By: Alison Moore The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd takes place in two small towns in South Carolina. Though I have spent the entirety of my life in New England and have never ventured below the Mason-Dixon Line, Kidd’s personable and descriptive writing brought the South alive in my mind—so much so that even though I was always dying to know what happened next in the story and wanted so much to hurry to the end— I felt it was only right to take my time, to mosey through the chapters and to contemplate and soak in the words, the way one might stroll down a dirt road on a hot Southern day. The Secret Life of Bees follows Lily Owens, a white teenager navigating through life in the South during the summer of 1964, when President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act (which extended voting rights to everyone and prohibited racial segregation). Lily lives with her abusive father and is mostly taken care of by Rosaleen, her black housekeeper, nanny and friend. Her mother was killed under mysterious circumstances during Lily’s early childhood and Lily is consumed with the need to uncover the details and secrets of her mother’s life. When Rosaleen gets into serious trouble with racists in town, Lily and Rosaleen escape to find safety in a small town called Tiburon—a place that Lily believes is somehow connected with her mother. There they encounter August, June and May Boatwright, black sisters who keep bees, make honey, worship a black Madonna and hold the answers to Lily’s deepest questions and secret desires. As I said, I could not have been more enchanted by this story. In the first pages of the book, Lily recounts how when a swarm of bees invaded her room one summer night, she was transfixed by the sound they made and could not think for the humming. I felt similarly when reading—the soothing hum of bees and of Lily’s lyrical thoughts and observations overtook my mind until I could not think of anything else. One of the things I loved most was the sisterhood and powerful female energy that radiated from the story. The Boatwright sisters and their friends call themselves the Daughters of Mary and look towards the Virgin Mother for strength in hard times, just as they look towards each other. I also loved how Kidd used facts about bees as metaphors for human existence and female empowerment. As I learned about bees and beekeeping from August and Lily, I began to think about the power of mothers, sisters and daughters, and how women of all colors share deep intuition, wisdom and pride. As Lily learns the routines of beekeeping and the rituals of the Daughters of Mary, I felt personally connected to her and the other characters even though my life could not be more different. I would whole-heartedly recommend The Secret Life of Bees to any woman, young or old. Though it is a work of fiction, the real life history and universal truths that are explored within its pages make it a compelling, resonant and valuable read. As a final thought, I would strongly urge anyone interested in this story to choose reading the book over watching the 2008 film version. While the movie is decent and entertaining, the book holds more depth and beautiful details, which I believe makes it much more valuable. |
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