The Secret Life of Bees is a warm hearted novel which shows the reader what a family truly is. Lily Owens a teen growing up on an orchard in South Carolina lives everyday of her life wrestling with the fact that she may be her mother’s killer. At fourteen years old Lily lives with her abusive father T.Ray, Rosaleen an African American woman who becomes a mother figure, and her impending desire to change her life. Living in a time plagued with racial inequality managed to become the way for her desire to become a reality when Rosaleen got into trouble, landing her in jail. The Secret Life of Bees brings the reader on Lily’s physical and emotional journey where she meets new people, learns more about herself and finds out the truth about her mother.
The Secret Life of Bees was both a challenging and fun read. All the characters in the novel were so well developed I was so locked into the story. The plot consists of many twists and turns, leaving me shocked when tragedy struck in moments which appeared peaceful. Along with the well developed characters the concepts of race and growth were well establish, providing examples of life issues which plague us today. Although the novel takes place in 1964 it is so relevant in our society today and can open a person’s eyes to the problems we face on a day to day basis.
By Marjan
