The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd 4 *'s

[MargieD2017]

I finished this book last night but wasn't able to write the review until today. I had planned on recording this for last month's tag but will have to record it as this month's tag instead.

I had also wanted to record this for the Jade Dragons under Montanan: wildlife. I thought I had found this tag when started this book but now it can't be found. My goodness, bees are wildlife, aren't they? If anyone else can find this, I will gladly post this review again.

I do appreciate this author and her ability to weave into the story something more than just the main story. In this case, it was about bees and bee keepers. I was amazed to learn several things about bees like when it gets too hot out for the bee hive all the workers in the hive begin fanning the hive with their wings. Tens of thousands of bees in flight at one time in the hive creates quite a large hum. Another interesting fact was that the queen has attendants! No wonder she is called the queen and not the mother of the hive! And so much more....
The story is about a 14-year old girl who had accidently killed her mother and her father was extremely abusive forcing her to kneel on grits for hours after doing or saying something that he didn't like. Cruel punishment and the absence of parental guidance and care, she is fraught with guilt and the despairing need to have her mother back in her life. One day her Nanny takes her to town with her to register to vote. A black woman in 1964 in a deep south town is not met with welcoming arms and is jailed after spitting on the shoes of a belligerent white man opposed to her voting rights. Our heroine, Lily, frees Rosaleen from jail and together they travel to a small town where Lily believes her mother had once lived. There she is taken in by a colored family who run a bee keeping business. Lily had a picture of her mother standing in front of a jar of honey with a Black Madonna on the label. When she saw the Black Madonna sitting on a table in the house and saw jars of honey with the same Black Madonna label on shelves, she knew she had found a link to her mother’s past. From here the truths of her mother, her father and herself are disclosed while she grows in her understanding of bees, bee keeping and her internal struggles of guilt, shame, fear and a disparate need to be loved. Lily grows before your eyes.

This was a wonderful story of compassion and understanding. The education that is imparted are lessons we can all embrace.

[Doughgirl5562]

I loooooved the movie made from this book. The book was good also.

[Cora]

I couldn't find a wildlife tag, but I did find the following tags if you want to use one of them.

(Alabama) Civil Rights (page 2)
(Idaho) Nature (page 8)
(Louisiana) Southern Gothic (page 12)
(Iowa) Politics (page 15)
(Arkansas) Education (page 16)
(Nebraska) Farming (page 108)
(Illinois) Comedy (page 159)
(North Carolina) Appalachia (page 196)

[MargieD2017]

thank you very much! How did you find all of these? Is there a trick to searching out tags or did you scan all of those listings? Sure hope there is trick!

I posted it under Southern Gothic!

One more for Jade Dragons!

[Cora]

MargieD2017 wrote: "thank you very much! How did you find all of these? Is there a trick to searching out tags or did you scan all of those listings? Sure hope there is trick!

I posted it under Southern Gothic!

One..."

Head on over to the Jade Dragon's group and I will share how I find tags.

[Robin P]

I enjoyed the book but I was a bit bothered by the trope of the black woman/women saving the white child, as if that is what they are there for.

[Rose]

Any chance once Poll game closes you could share the tip for searching for tags with those not in the game or Jade Dragons? I sometimes am searching for tags for other reasons and think - there must be an easier way!

[Hilde]

Yes, I am curious too. I found searching for tags to be quite a hazzle. Thanks!