The Secret Life of Bees (novel)
 The Secret Life of Bees cover | |
| Author | Sue Monk Kidd |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Penguin Publishing |
Publication date | January 2003 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 336 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
The Secret Life of Bees is a 2002 bestselling novel by American author Sue Monk Kidd. It has received much critical acclaim and became a New York Times bestseller. It has won the Orange Prize. The novel has been adapted into a film by Gina Prince-Bythewood that stars Dakota Fanning, Hilarie Burton, Alicia Keys,Tristan Wilds, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Hudson and Queen Latifah. The film will be released in fall 2008.
Synopsis
Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand-in-mother", Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free from jail. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina -- a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Mary. While in Tiburon, Lily sees the other side of the race line. Including the arrest of Zach, her love interest, after he was wrongly accused of throwing a bottle at police in front of a movie theater. Also the ins and outs of the honey biz leads her to find her mother's true past.
Characters in The Secret Life of Bees
- Lily Owens: The fourteen-year-old girl who finds herself on the Boatwright bee farm after escaping her torturous life at home. protagonist and narrator of the story.
- Terrence Ray Owens ("T. Ray"): A peach farm owner, father to Lily Owens, and abusive widower.
- Deborah Fontanel Owens: Mother of Lily. She was shot by 4-year old Lily during a fight between Terrence and Deborah.
- Rosaleen Daise: A caring, persistent worker on T. Ray's peach farm, the only "mother figure" Lily has ever known.
- May Boatwright: An emotionally challenged sister of August. Every misfortune in the world affects May. Suffers from depression since her twin sister, April, died.
- June Boatwright: August's other sister who dislikes Lily because she also disliked her mother during the beginning of her stay with the Boatwrights.
- August Boatwright: A caring beekeeper and ex-Nanny to Deborah when she was younger, who takes Lily under her wing.
- The Daughters of Mary: A group of women (and one man) led by August who worship Mary, mother of Jesus, as a Godly figure. The members of the Daughters of Mary are: Queenie, her daughter Violet, Mabelee, Cressie, Lunelle, Sugar-Girl, and her husband Otis.
- Zachary Taylor: A 16 year-old black teenager, May's newphew, with whom Lily eventually falls in love. He studies to become a lawyer one day. He works on the honey plant during the summer.
- July: She's the unseen sister. She was a lesbian who was discovered eating cunt by her sisters, and they kicked her ass outta there.
Note I just wanted to clarify: it's just fucking weird when they put fucking May, June, and August, and then fucking tell you guys that in reality there was a bitch named April who's like the twin of one of them or something, so my question is: where the fuck is fucking July?
Themes of the Story
Lonlieness and the Need to be Needed - in this novel, Lily is lonely at home and feels that she is unloved by her father, T. Ray. However, with the help of August Boatwright, she is able to find that she has many people that love and care for her.
The Search for Identity - Lily is faced with trying to find out who she is because at her home she is not allowed to do that. Lily does this in many ways such as writing and through finding her first love, Zachary Taylor. By finding out about her mother's past she is able to find herself.
Symbols
Beehives - as in the story the female rules the communities of Beehives, just as the Virgin Mary is symbolized as the mother of every person. Like the Bees August creates certain rituals and prayers in order to protect her home and sisterhood.
Photographs - Photographs play an important role due to the fact that all the objects and photos that Lily have resemble to her mother. Likewise the photo of the Black Madonna literally symbolizes Deborah to Lily and is all she has of her. In the novel the Photographs that Lily have show the power of relationships.
The Black Madonna - The Black Mary symbolizes a universal mother figure. The Black Madonna acts as a mother to many including all the members of the Daughters of Mary and to Lily gives her something to look up to that will never betray her.
Influences
As a child, Kidd, like Lily, also had a nanny who habitually chewed snuff. She included a few traits and sayings from her own nanny to Rosaleen. Although the author wasn't forced to kneel on grits as punishment, both she and Lily share the same disaffection for them.
Awards and nominations
In addition to being a New York Times bestseller, The Secret Life of Bees has been selected by Good Morning America's "Read This!" Book Club. It won the 2003 Southeastern Book Sellers Association Award for Best Fiction Novel.
Film adaptation
The Secret Life of Bees has been adapted into a film directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. Dakota Fanning portrays the main character and narrator Lily Owens, and Jennifer Hudson portrays Lily's caregiver and only friend, Rosaleen. The Boatwright sisters—August, May and June—will be played by Queen Latifah, Sophie Okonedo and Alicia Keys respectively. Hilarie Burton will play Deborah Owens and Paul Bettany will also play T Ray, Lily's abusive father. Tristan Wilds,from HBO's The Wire, will play Zachary Taylor. Production began on January 7, 2008, in Lumberton, North Carolina.[1] It will be released on October 17 2008.