A review by kamrynharned
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

A book I KNOW I will be re-reading.  I borrowed a copy from a friend, so I couldn’t mark it up, but I think that it’s for the better as I will be able to slow down and appreciate the prose so much more the second time around.  It’s so rare to find a character-driven book that is so gripping and such a page-turner.  I found myself skipping ahead to find out what would happen because the suspense felt so real. Lily was written so well as a 14 year old girl - smart, outlandish, stubborn but highly emotional and longing for love.  Her finding love is just too sweet to bear, and the longing for her happy ending kept me entranced the whole book.  So many pieces of this book were just genius - the bee facts that tied into the story line, the wailing wall, Our Mother of Chains, and the civil rights backdrop that tugged your heart strings without coming off as preachy. I want an August for myself. 
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