The Secret Life of Bees is the first novel by Sue Monk Kidd. Set in 1964, this is the story of Lily Melissa Owens, who lives on a peach farm in South Carolina. At four years of age, Lily accidentally killed her mother. Her father is a harsh and cruel man, and Lily craves her mothers love. She does have the friendship of Rosaleen, a Negro servant, but when events put Rosaleen in jail and in danger of her life, Lily decides they need to escape. Lily follows the scant trail left by her mother and they end up living with the eccentric Boatwright sisters, farming honey and learning to understand the world and themselves. Filled with facts and anecdotes about bees and beekeeping, this heart-warming tale has tears and laughter and much wisdom. For me, it was reminiscent of novels by Alice Hoffman and Alice Walkers The Colour Purple. The epigraphs about bees at the beginning of each chapter were a delightful touch.

Set during the civil rights era, The Secret Life of Bees is a coming-of-age story about a young girl as she stuggles to make sense of her past, her present and the changing world around her. Though racial issues form a backdrop to the story and do trigger some events, this is not the main theme of this novel. Rather this book is about journeys - physical journeys, emotional journeys and the journey of understanding that happens to us all as we grow up. I highly recommend this book for adults and young adults alike.

Lovely book. i enjoyed reading it!!