The Secret Life of Bees
Sue Monk Kidd's ravishing debut novel has stolen the hearts of reviewers and readers alike with its strong, assured voice. 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 "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the town's fiercest racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina—a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love—a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about The Secret Life of Bees
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
It is 1964 in South Carolina, and fourteen-year-old Lily Owens runs from her abusive peach farmer father with her Black housekeeper Rosaleen after Rosaleen is beaten by white men in town. Following a clue from her dead mother, Lily ends up at the pink farmhouse of three Black beekeeping sisters.
Yes. A 2008 film adaptation directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and starring Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, and Alicia Keys was released. The film follows the novel closely.
No. The Secret Life of Bees is a standalone, but Sue Monk Kidd has written several other novels including The Mermaid Chair, The Invention of Wings, and The Book of Longings. Each is independent.
The Secret Life of Bees was written by Sue Monk Kidd, published in 2000 by Review.
The Secret Life of Bees is 303 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Secret Life of Bees takes most readers 5 to 7 hours to finish.
The Secret Life of Bees is a standalone novel by Sue Monk Kidd, not part of a series.
The Secret Life of Bees is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.