Book Review: The Secret Life of Bees

And finally, one more for book review week. It’s a book I’ve put off for awhile, but found I really quite enjoyed it! (I’d probably even watch the movie. Oh, heck. Who am I kidding? I would totally watch it.)

Book Review for: The Secret Life of Bees
By Sue Monk Kidd

I liked the twists and turns as well as the never-really-knowing-the-answer to certain things in the character’s life. She doesn’t know, so neither do we.

The main character (I love her moxi) breaks her housekeeper out of jail (yes, you read right) and runs away. But wait, there’s more. Her housekeeper is Black and it is during the civil rights upheaval. And she’s White. And just a kid. And she pulls it off. And that’s just the beginning.

She has one destination in mind when she runs away, and no real plan. But somehow things work out like her ‘trip’ was preordained. Not only does she find a home, but she finds some of the answers she’s always been seeking.

I think the reason I steered away from this book for so long was the bee part. Being raised a beekeeper, I often find that books about bees or beekeepers are often incorrect. This one had one thing that wasn’t quite right, but otherwise, she did a fantastic job of working bees and their world into this novel. Without the bees the book just wouldn’t have been quite as sweet.

P.S. Thanks to my mother-in-law for handing this book down to me some time ago. Thanks! I enjoyed it immensely. And, er, sorry about the spaghetti I spilled on page 106 and 107. I gather you were giving the book to me, but if you want it back, I’ll buy you a new copy. Sorry about that. (Who let me become a keeper of books–aka librarian–anyway?)

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