| Book Review | The Secret Life of Bees.
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"women made the best beekeepers 'cause they have a special ability built into them to love creatures that sting." - Sue Monk Kidd.
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This was one of those books that I accidentally stumbled upon at the store. I began reading it as soon as I got back home and it took me a while to complete it. This book isn't difficult considering how it's set in the '60s but the heaviness of it made me take it real slow. In some ways, this book reminded of The Help not because it addresses the plight of colored people but because of the beautiful way in which things have been explained. There are a lot of stunning quotes that puts human perspectives in line but what makes it more special is that they have been explained through the lives of bees.
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Lily Owens is an unhappy teenager who lives with her hateful father. With her mother having died years ago, Lily holds on to pieces of her memory and finds solace in the swarm of bees that enter her room every night. T Ray, her father hires a colored help to look after Lily. Rosaleen is a big woman who comes around to love Lily in her own way and when she gets into trouble with white men, Lily devises a plan and rescues her from jail. With her father's constant abuse, Lily decides to run away from home carrying few clothes and a picture of her mother clicked in Tiburon. She takes this as a sign and reaches Tiburon with Rosaleen to know more about her mother's past. In the new town, Lily traces back her mother's past to a bring pink house in which reside three colored sisters. May, June and August take Lily and Rosaleen under their wing.
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August, eldest of the sisters is a beekeeper and it is here that Lily finds her home. She learns about the secrets that bees keep within their colony and is stunned by the role they play in making the world a better place. Through beekeeping, August teaches Lily the values of life. You have to remember that this story takes place back when colored folks were treated inhumanely and this is why there's a lot of pain and loss that presses upon the readers. But there's also a lot about love and acceptance that feels like a soothing balm.
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Part of why I loved this book is for the characters that are beautifully written. While it's tough to choose one, mine was easily August. August is what resilience and compassion rolled into one looks like. Displaying strong maternal instincts, she's the one who keeps the family intact. Lily's questions about her mother are finally answered and with it comes a sense of understanding. I wish I had read this earlier but I'm also glad that I happened to read it at the right time. This novel is a beautiful art that needs to be passed down to generations.
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Rating - 5/5