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The Secret Life of Bees

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The Secret Life of Bees

By: Sue Monk Kidd
Narrated by: Jenna Lamia
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About this listen

Don't miss the extraordinary new novel from Sue Monk Kidd, The Book of Longings - published on 21st April 2020, and available to pre-order now.

A fabulous coming-of-age debut novel that has sold over 5 million copies worldwide, and has been made into a movie starring Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo, and Paul Bettany.

Lily has grown up believing she accidentally killed her mother when she was four. She not only has her own memory of holding the gun, but her father's account of the event. Now 14, she yearns for her mother, and for forgiveness. Living on a peach farm in South Carolina with her father, she has only one friend: Rosaleen, a black servant whose sharp exterior hides a tender heart.

South Carolina in the '60s is a place where segregation is still considered a cause worth fighting for. When racial tension explodes one summer afternoon, and Rosaleen is arrested and beaten, Lily is compelled to act. Fugitives from justice and from Lily's harsh and unyielding father, they follow a trail left by the woman who died 10 years before.

Finding sanctuary in the home of three beekeeping sisters, Lily starts a journey as much about her understanding of the world, as about the mystery surrounding her mother.

©2002 Sue Monk Kidd (P)2008 Penguin Audio Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction United States World Literature Heartfelt Feel-Good Tear-jerking Thought-Provoking

Critic Reviews

"Wonderfully written, powerful, poignant, and humorous... Do read it" (Joanna Trollope)

"This is a wonderful book, by turns funny, sad, full of incident and shot through with grown-up magic reminiscent of Joanne Harris" (Daily Telegraph)
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If you love a beautiful story with love, tragedy and a laugh and cry story this is for you. Read so nicely it's calming one of my favourites. Enjoy

Beautiful story...

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I think it is a very nice history with an excellent performance.
The narrator immersed herself in the book mimicking the protagonist in an extraordinary manner.

Interesting history

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amazing storytelling.
best narration I've ever heard.
it took awhile to get into it but it was a book which has stayed in my mind for days aftwards

incredible!

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As so many others have said, the narration is exceptional and brings this story to life. The story that involves familiar themes and includes humorous moments along with the heart wrenching ones! A good read!

A must read!

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This was my first audio fiction book. Truly a delight from the first word to the last.

Beautifully written, wonderfully narrated

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A lovely story, beautifully told, of a young girl adrift. Love the bees and the black madonna 🐝

Beeeeeautiful!

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Awesome book! Words that I found touch a deep compassion for other people's stories/steps in life & give a little insight on the size of one's shoes.

Beautiful.😊

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Just had to keep listening
Such an emotional book of recovering a little girl past and standing up for herself

Loved it!!!

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At first it took me a while to get used to the American drawl of the narrator, but now I’ve finished the book I feel like it was a really well selected choice for the voice of the narrator. Interesting storyline, and a good snapshot of America during a time of social transformation, and how it effected small towns and communities.

Storyline drew me in

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I loved this. It was wonderfully performed and the story was beautiful. Highly Recommended!

Beautiful. Heartfelt. Coming of age.

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