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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

 An intoxicating debut novel of "one motherless daughter's discovery of...the strange and wonderful places we find love" —The Washington PostSue Monk Kidd's ravishing debut novel has stolen the hearts of reviewers and readers alike with its strong, assured voice. 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 "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the town's fiercest racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina—a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love—a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come. African American Coming of Age Family Life Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction

Critic Reviews

"Sue Monk Kidd is an extraordinary storyteller. Beautifully written." Ursula Hegi

"A wonderful novel about mothers and daughters and the transcendent power of love." Connie May fowler

"With imagination as lush and colorful as the American South, a clutch of deliciously eccentric characters and vivid prose, Sue Monk Kidd creates a rich, maternal haven in a harsh world." Christina Schwarz
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