The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd Review

 

The Secret Life of Bees

by Sue Monk Kidd

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Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily’s fierce-hearted black “stand-in mother,” Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina–a town that holds the secret to her mother’s past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna. This is a remarkable novel about divine female power, a story women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.

 

 

 

 

The Secret Life of Bees is a book I’ve been wanting to read for years.  I saw the movie when it came out over ten years ago but thankfully I remembered very little of the story and was able to really enjoy reading this. 

I’ve never read any of Sue Monk Kidd’s books before and I was immediately swept up in her writing. The Secret Life of Bees was beautifully written—so descriptive and emotional while not feeling flowery or dense. It was easy to feel as though I’d fallen into a blazing South Carolina summer, to hear the drone of mosquitoes and smell the sweetness of honey in the air. I think the writing shined best in the way emotions—Lily’s mostly, as she was the main character—were portrayed. Complicated emotions and observations were expressed so clearly in a way that felt both simple and deep at once. It was understandably and really fantastically written through the sometimes naive, sometimes perceptive voice of fourteen year old Lily Owens. It was Lily’s voice that gave the story so much of its interest, her innocence and her guilt and the deep longing sadness she lived tangled up with. Racism was also a heavy topic in this book. Though it wasn’t the main focus, it pervaded the story because it formed and influenced the setting and relationships. The connections Lily made were authentic and true, but they were in spite of the world around them. The racism was portrayed realistically and not brushed over. I appreciated the honesty with which it was handled by even Lily herself who had the chance to feel like the outsider and had to admit some of her own prejudices to herself. Though the writing often felt slow, contemplative and bittersweet, there was a real fear and sense of dread conveyed during some of the racially charged scenes that had me holding my breath. Other happier and calmer moments were often described so nicely that I wished I could drop into the scene and feel it for myself. The whole book was wonderfully written. 

I think the characters were well written too, although somewhat stereotypical. They felt real and I cared about them immediately. Even though I think the whole premise of the novel relies on some tropes that spilled over into the general roles the characters played, I loved all of them. They were felt completely real and fleshed out. Lily was bold and brave when it came to the people she loved but there was such a depth to her, as there was to every important character. Rosaleen was fantastically bold and unapologetic and loving in a way that differed from the other women around Lily–constant but quiet. The Boatwright sisters–August, June and May–were such a joy to read about. They each had their own struggles but loved and protected each other so fiercely. August and June’s complete understanding and support of May was so nice to read about. August was amazing–just so amazing. The type of person you read about and wish you knew and could talk to. She was so loving, understanding, wise, interesting, and just…(dare I say it again?) amazing. I loved her. Zach, with his dreams of going to college and becoming a lawyer, was a great character, too. I cared so much about all of them.

As I said, the premise of The Secret Life of Bees isn’t perfect, but I so enjoyed reading this story. The pacing was great—it somehow felt slow (I think that was the humid southern summer seeping into the atmosphere) but never dragged and held my interest throughout the novel. I really enjoyed reading about the Daughters of Mary’s spirituality and their sense of community. I loved the theme of motherhood and female relationships that this novel focused on. Lily’s complicated longing for her mother, the sisterhood of the Boatwright ladies, the Daughters of Mary and their connection to and belief in the Virgin Mary. This focus on the complexities, love and understanding within women’s relationships was great. There was a bit of mystery regarding Lily’s and her mother’s pasts and fear for the future that made me curious, but mostly it was my love of the characters and the prose itself that made this book so easy to read. I didn’t want to put it down. 

Reading The Secret Life of Bees was such a pleasure. In a way, this book was exactly as I’d imagined it’d be. My memory of the movie was hazy but I remembered the general feel I got from it and the book lived up to it and went beyond what I’d expected. I highly recommend it. As a coming of age story, I think this novel is suitable for many YA readers (perhaps on the older end of the YA scale) as well. It’s raw, relatable, poignant and full of moments both deeply happy and sad. It explores the best and worst of humanity with astute observations and beautiful writing.  

4/5

Have you read The Secret Life of Bees? Let me know what you thought in the comments!

Thanks for reading, 

Madison