Published 2002 / Length 384 pages
It is 1964 and the American Deep South is plagued by racial violence and civil unrest, following the passing of the Civil Rights Act. In the midst of this turbulence, fourteen-year-old Lily is struggling to cope with life with her bitter, neglectful father on their South Carolina peach farm. Lily’s mother died in a tragic accident when Lily was four and, despite having only a hazy memory of the event, Lily knows that she was in some way responsible. When Lily’s beloved black nanny, Rosaleen, is involved in a confrontation with three white men and is assaulted and arrested, Lily helps her to escape. With nowhere else to go, the two of them follow a trail left by Lily’s mother to the town of Tiburon, where they find sanctuary with three black bee-keeping sisters. With the help of the wisdom, strength and compassion of the ‘calendar sisters’, Lily begins to unravel the mysteries of her mother’s life and death, heal her deep-seated wounds and build a new life for herself.
‘Populated with rich, believable characters and propelled by a swiftly paced plot, this debut novel is a cut above most coming-of-age tales. You’ll be glad you went along for the ride.’ – People
• There is more than one mother figure in the book. Who are they? How does the parallel narrative theme of bees and bee-keeping fit in with this?
• Considering the political situation at the time, do you find it believable that Lily would be allowed to live with the three sisters?
• Did your feelings about T. Ray change as the story progressed? Were there any early hints that perhaps he was not totally unfeeling, despite his harsh treatment of Lily? Were you able to feel any sympathy for him by the end?
• Lily’s feelings about her mother are complex. How do they change throughout the book? In what ways does Lily’s discovery that her mother was not the perfect person she’d imagined help her to come to terms with her loss?
• What problems do you think Lily might face in the future, and what aspects of her personality might help her to overcome them?
• The Secret Life of Bees is a huge international bestseller, with over 3.5 million copies sold throughout the world. It has won numerous awards and been nominated for many more, including the prestigious Orange Prize for Fiction.
• The book is Sue Monk Kidd’s debut novel. Although it is not autobiographical, she grew up in south Georgia in the 1960s and experienced the political unrest of the time.
• To Kill a Mockingbird by HARPER LEE (see here) – another coming-of-age story set in the Deep South and dealing with racial intolerance.
• Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by REBECCA WELLS – explores themes of love, family ties and female friendship.