The Secret Life of Bees by sue Monk Kidd

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd


"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." --August Boatwright, The Secret Life of Bees.

Quite a time after I started the book, I have restarted and finally finished this novel.  This story is described as a sort of coming of age novel but I found it to be so much more than that...probably because of my own experiences and perspective.  As you know, everyone brings his or her own perspective to each book one reads, so for me, reading a book about a motherless girl caused me to connect with Lily in so many ways.  She was searching for something and she found it where no white man thought she should find it at the time in a house full of "colored women."  I can relate to that as well as my family didn't agree with some of my friends as I was growing up.  I've seen a world of difference since my childhood days.  As August says, I have found the mother inside myself, as I'm breaking the cycle and have become a foster parent but I think she meant that you have to find that part of you that you can rely on to take care of you.  I think I'm still searching for that, and we probably all search for that our whole lives.

I think if I didn't have the perspective that I do have, this would have been an easy read.  It has some seriously traumatic events but I have to say I didn't cry.  I probably would have cried if I hadn't seen the movie though as I was expecting these things.  I don't typically rate movies but I definitely give Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah and the other main characters (sorry, I am not going to look up names) kudos for bringing life to these characters.  I am glad that I read this book.  It's probably not one that I will read over and over.  I may read it again someday ten years from now but it was a good story, I'm glad I read it, now I can move on with the next story if that makes sense.  I think because it's filled with so much emotion...it's a heavy story to lay on your heart.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Happy Reading!