The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is one of my favorite books. Published in 2002, I have now read this beautiful novel three times.  

The year is 1964, racism is rampant, and Martin Luther King and his followers are fighting for equal rights. Lily Owens is 14 years old and lives with her abusive father Terrance Roy and is taken care of by a kind African-American housekeeper, Rosaleen.  Lily longs to know about her deceased mother and, more importantly, Lily wants to know that her mother loved her despite her father’s cruel taunts suggesting otherwise.

When Rosaleen attempt to register to vote in Sylvan, South Carolina, three white men taunt her and accuse her of stealing. They beat her and - because it is 1964 - she is arrested. While visiting Rosaleen in the hospital after the ugly incident, Lily and Rosaleen escape. In a sparse but treasured bag of her mother’s possessions, Lily cherishes a picture of a Black Madonna with the words Tiburon, South Carolina written on the back. Eventually, Rosaleen and Lily arrive in Tiburon and are curiously welcomed to the home of May, June, and August Boatright, three African-American sisters who keep bees and sell their Black Madonna Honey. Rosaleen and Lily have found a welcoming space.   

In the Boatwright home, there is plenty of patience, lots of love, and many wonderful characters. Lily doesn’t tell them the totality of her story and they don’t tell her what they know about her. Eventually, Lily asks August why August never told Lily that she knew her mother. August replies, “Because you weren’t ready to know about her.  I didn’t want to risk you running away again. I wanted you to have a chance to get yourself on solid ground, get your heart bolstered up first.”

Finally feeling safe, Lily sheds the weight of her sorrow with August. She says, “It was scary, my secrets spilled out across the room, like a garbage truck had backed up and dumped its sorry contents across the floor for her to sort through.” Lily sobs as she shares the stories and feelings that have consumed her little life. August listens and comforts Lily, “She was like a sponge absorbing what I couldn’t hold anymore.”

Filled with spiritual themes, this novel provides an example of what our world might feel like if there was a divine mother figure rather than a paternalist father deity. At one level, the book is the articulation of an unconscious desire for a feminine divinity and a repudiation of a dominant male deity. Lily and August spend time in the honey house where August explains to Lily the beehive’s social structure. The queen bee, Lily learns, is central to the functioning of the hive, a parallel to the power of the Madonna. The Boatright sisters are part of a group of African-American women who call themselves Daughters of Mary. They embrace Lily and encourage her to feel empowered despite life's setbacks. And they should know. August says, “Our lady is not some magical being out there somewhere, like a fairy godmother.  She’s not the statue in the parlor.  She’s something inside of you.”

Kidd’s book deftly deals with family dynamics, civil disobedience, mental illness, race relations, friendship, mothering, religion, and spirituality, all subjects that interest me.  The book is spiritually compelling and emotionally resonant. Lily comes to know her own mother through the love of these three sisters and the Daughters of Mary. There is tenderness in Kidd’s writing. She conveys understanding and empathy. She allows us the privilege of walking in Lily’s shoes and to experience her healing as Lily comes to an understanding of her mother and her own role in her mother’s death. By the end of the book, Lily forgives herself and begins to heal and feel worthy of love. If you are looking for a book that engages your mind while touching your heart, I highly recommend The Secret Life of Bees.