Feeling sorry for the lifeless bees, one night, Lily leaves the jar open and the following morning, the bees are gone. Then, she hears a voice, and that voice tells her, Lily Melissa Owens, you're jar is open. Like the bees that had been freed, Lily decides to break free from her own bonds. She views her introduction to bees in the summer of 1964 as a sign, an omen, much like Gabriel's visit with the Virgin Mary. Little does Lily know that her life is about to change drastically. As she learns things from her past, including the circumstances around the death of her mother at the age of four, she also learns some of life's most important lessons.
At the beginning of each chapter and from one of the characters in the story itself, we are presented with scientific facts about bees and life in a bee hive. Kidd weaves these facts like strands of wool in a beautiful quilt, metaphors in life. I found the most significant metaphor has to do with the title itself, but I'll leave it to you to figure it out. After each chapter, I had to put the book down to think for a few moments about how simply, but impressively, Kidd uses analogies. I felt myself getting caught up in the lives of the characters. Others have admitted to crying when reading this book. I have to admit that while reading the final chapter, I can't recall ever coming as close to tears as I ever have while reading a book.
On a final note, in Lily's journey of discovery, religious ideology is brought to the forefront. Not only does Lily come across the Daughters of Mary, a wailing wall, Catholicism intertwined with Paganism, but she also comes face to face with a Black Madonna. I've heard how some readers found references to a Black Madonna offensive. In addition, other readers found the idea of feminine divinity, another topic prominently protrayed in the book, unpalatable. Neither of those subjects bothered me. In that sense, the controversy reminded me of the hoopla surrounding The Da Vince Code, but not to that extent. To those who hold such beliefs and refuse to read The Secret Life Of Bees because of this, I would say, you are missing a well-crafted piece of literature and an elegantly-written story.
Rating: 5
[Rating Scale: 5 - outstanding; 4 - very good; 3 - good; 2 - fair; 1- poor]
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Eric Olsen
wow Vernon, that's quite a recommendation, and to top it off I have a daughter named Lily - thanks and welcome!
2 - Justene
This review was chosen for Advance.net. You will be able to find it on newspaper sites including Cleveland.com.
3 - jeff
it sucks
is there a movie?
4 - huckins
it is the most horrible book ever
5 - john
this book is an abortion of a literary novel. the over-hammered theme topic of the "feminine devine" gets rather stale... rather quickly. on top of that, the unifying thread of bees is just plain boring. i followed The Secret Life of Bees with The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini), which outperformed Kidd's work in every sense of the word. The symbols and motifs were more subtle, the plot was more believable, and the narration more engaging.
i would be interested in seeing your repertoire of books if this is, indeed, "as perfect as one can get."
6 - joe
it got really boreing......really fast. Good motifs and themes, but were beaten to death by way too much feminienessness( w/e).
7 - kristin
if lily owens was to have 6 souvenirs that were important to her throughout the book and she put them into a scrap book, what would they be? Please answer soon!
8 - Alison
John and Joe,
You two are stupid. I think you two are just being bitter because it is about female power, something of which you two cannot relate with. I wouldn't have expected you to really comprehend the book correctly anyway, due to your unability to open your mind.
:)
9 - melyssa
John and Joe,
Yeah I totally agree with Kristin;it proves that some males are just too mentally inept and close-minded to be able to understand and grasp the underlying meaning of a book like this.
10 - Kacey
Hey umm can any one help me? I'm doing a Summer reading project and i need to know how the bee facts at the begining of the chapter relate to the events tht happen in the chapter.Thanks a lot <3Kacey
11 - Laurel
hey-- unfortunately, i have a dreaded summer assignment for english. Though I loved the book, I am having much trouble with the actually writing piece. I need to select a pivotal passage (illuminates theme or character, helps get across essence of book etc.) & discuss it in a 5 para or more essay..any ideas anoyone??
THANKS
12 - Jessie
i had to read this for a class, but personaly i loved it, it is a great story about relationships and love. i can understand why most men wouldn't like it, but i think all females of all ages should read it :-)
13 - gbarn
i loved this book, and i agree with the other girls that men cannot understand the female divinity. of course, i have an english project on this which completely ruins the entire experience. i have a huge test tomorrow on it! gosh! shouldnt great literature be something of the mind? not the classroom?
14 - elias berihun
i have a qustion, my qustion is how are the symbol of bees and honey farm related to the way the main characters interact in the secret life of bees?
15 - saxon
yo honestly i dont read att all and when my mom forced me to read this lmao i thought it would be shit but turns out i liked it ! some parts were boring as the whole racisisim thing came up alot !! and it was predictable but other than that the boook was quite interesting
16 - Corrine
For you who think this book is "horrible" that is a rather dense comment for I noticed the comments are placed by males I think you are very dim- witted in the sense that you dont understand the empowering of women and the strength and confidence that women need and get from this book. I overall love this book. It is very inspiring and truthful to the women mind and it's fast paced which is something I look forward to in books. I am but fourteen and think this book shook be passed on forever. I award Sue Monk Kidd ********** (10) stars.
17 - Austin
the book sucked it was more of a coloring book than a novel
18 - Austin
the main character shot her mom when she was 4 how retarded
19 - Judy
what do u think the theme of the book is? can u answer like now this is actualy a "homework" and i need to find out quickly hurry!!!!!
20 - jas
dont be so ignorant people, do some reasearch on the book and analise it!
then youll get something out of it
21 - herman
In my life, i have never read a book this perfect, this emotional and this interisting, im a male, but i love this book and im not gay or anything lol <_<
22 - Mr. Amazing
This book does indeed suck major ass. It could not be worse if it was packaged with live killer African hornets. I would not recommend this book to my worst enemy. I hope Sue Monk Kidd (what the hell kinda name is that anyway?) chokes on her own self-inflated sense of literary value and dies a horrible death like every character in this pathetic excuse of a book deserves to.
23 - Mango
This book wasn't great, but it wasn't awful either, mediocre at best. I was assigned to read it for a project during my sophomore year of high school and to do a project on it (fun, fun).
The whole "Lily shot her mom" thing seems a bit unrealistic to me. As many times as i've gone over it in my head, how she could pick up the gone, point it at her mom enough for it to be deadly, then somehow squeeze the trigger after all that time is just beyond me.
24 - no one
I fucking hate this book
what a waste of my life
why do we have to read this shit for school???
25 - no one
Corrine,
btw I'm a girl
get a life