Sue Monk Kidd
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Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd Review by Hasmita Chander So many books have intriguing titles that create an impact or show the connection only by the time you have finished reading it. This is not one of them. The bee connection begins from Chapter One and remains throughout. Although I knew a fair amount about these creatures earlier, now I know much more, and as Kidd says, I know about secret parts of their lives. Obviously this novel is much more than just about bees. The protagonist is a fourteen-year-old girl, Lily Owens, who thinks she has killed her mother by mistake. Her father is a cruel, self-centred man who plays little more than a disciplinary role in Lily's life. With no siblings for company, and being poorly cared for, she is not popular in school either. The only person she has in real life is her black housekeeper, Rosaleen; in her inner life, she has her mother whom she only vaguely remembers, having 'killed' her when Lily was four. The story is set in the south of the United States, during the sixties when racism was high and black was the worst coloured skin you could have. After one more nasty incident with her father, Lily can't take it any more and she runs away. At the same time, Rosaleen, who had proudly set off to sign her name on the voters' list, ends up in prison for abusing some white men (who also abused her, of course). Lily manages to spring Rosaleen from prison and the two of them set out with no clear idea where they're going to go. All that Lily has is a picture of a black Madonna that used to belong to her mother, and the name of a nearby city behind it. They land up in a house with three black sisters, who turn out to be interesting and unforgettable characters. The writing is full of sensory details and one can feel the honey on the skin, the welcome of river water, and the closeness of the sisterhood. I look forward to reading more of this author. Glad to have found her!
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