Rating: 
Summary: A "sweet" read...
Review: I was captivated by the descriptions of sights, smells and all other happennings in Lily's summer. There was depth to the book but not such that you couldn't come up for air and enjoy each "bee" scene and then to tie it to the story line. I craved honey cakes and tea laced with honey.
Rating: 
Summary: Begging to be an Oprah Pick
Review: The story was not particularly unique or interesting, ditto the characters. Some of the stylistic components were good, and I really liked the quotations from bee books that headed each chapter. The quotes were thematically relevant and lovely on their own as well.Mostly I thought there was no "there, there." Blah blah blah, white girl and black nanny run away from unpleasant circumstances during times of racial unrest in the South. Their adventures while on the lamb were not interesting. The little attempts at making secondary characters have dimension by virtue of their quirkiness was a flop, if you ask me. It wasn't horrible, but it just wasn't worthwhile either. I can't imagine what people are accustomed to, that they're giving this thing four or five stars.
Rating:
Summary: Entertainment at it's Best
Review: Lily Owens tugged at my heart from the very first page. I was quickly drawn into the life of this spunky adolescent as she seeks the truth about her mother and finds forgiveness within herself. At times I found myself cheering her on and admiring her strength while at the same time wishing she could find that one safe haven she so desperately needed. This book is filled with colorful and entertaining characters. I instantly fell for the Boatright sisters, August, June and May named of course for the months of the year. The Daughter's of Mary, a very eccentric and off beat group of women provided wonderful visuals yet also displayed great strength of character. T Ray, is the proverbial father we love to hate and Rosaleen, Lily's friend and champion are but a few of the binding elements in this story. Treat yourself to a wonderful journey as Lily discovers the power and love of these wonderful characters. I hope to read more of Sue Monk Kidd in the years to come.
Rating:
Summary: I love this book!
Review: This book is a delight to read and touched me on so many different levels. I just finished it and I want to sit down and read it again. It is so good and has a message for everyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Didn't it bother anyone else?
Review: One star is for the lovely cover and for some nice turns of phrase.
But otherwise, I feel badly misled by the other reviewers' 4-star ratings for this book. First of all, I found the portrayal of Rosaleen, the black woman who takes care of Lily, to be really insulting. She is the first black character we meet in the book and she is written as a not-too-bright child. In addition, I did not believe for a minute that a black woman in the South in 1964 (Civil Rights Act or no Civil Rights Act) would put herself in the position of danger that author Kidd creates to set the story in motion. Rosaleen, alone with Lily in the middle of nowhere, is insulted and confronted by a group of white men loitering at a gas station. Her reaction is to goad them with increasingly inflammatory actions. Well, gosh golly, even 14-year-old white girl, Lily, had enough sense to know what a bad idea all that was. Then Lily comes to the rescue with Rosaleen passively following whatever plan Lily has in mind. Sheesh! The rest of the story really doesn't ever redeem itself.
Sorry, this book is tripe.
Rating: 
Summary: Magic
Review: A rich and magical little book. Well & uniquely written in the consistent voice of 14 yr old Lily, who has a such a wonderfully open and forgiving heart. (Thanks to the encouragement of the Boatwrights) I too, long for a sequel. What's to become of the sisters? And what is Lily like as an adult?
Rating:
Summary: Poignant Tale of Yearning & Self-Discovery
Review: I am a 37-year-old female who lost her mother (and best friend) last year to a sudden heart attack, so Lily's yearning for her mother struck a resonant chord in me. Even though I am much older than she, I identified with her search for herself as an individual, separate from her mother and father. Sue Monk Kidd's portraits of Lily, May, June, August and Rosaleen were so vivid that I could imagine which actresses I would cast in the movie. She made me care about each of these women within a few pages of meeting them. So much so that I'm hoping for a sequel!
Rating:
Summary: Bees annoy me and I don't eat much honey, BUT........
Review: I heard about this book a while back (a short review in a magazine, possibly PEOPLE) and thought it might be worth a try. I am very into coming-of-age stories, so that is probably what sparked my interest. However, several coming-of-age stories have disappointed me over the years, so it's always a game of chance. This book turned out to be just the ticket for my taste, I really enjoyed it. The people are all described in a wonderful way so that I was able to "see" them, and even to wish that they were real and that I knew them. I wish I could go to May's wailing wall with all of them. The little "header" above each chapter was a great idea.
Rating:
Summary: Bees as teachers
Review: Everything the previous reviewers have said about this book is absolutely true- a delightful,poignant joureny of a young girl's teenage years in a time of strife in the South.I would like to offer anpther point of view- My husband bought this book for me Valentine's Day because we keep bees. The lore and wisdom expressed in this charming book brought tears to my eyes more than once. Sue Monk Kidd so beautifully articulated the admiration that those of us fortunate enough to keep bees have developed.How we can relate these tales to our own lives!
Bees seem to have hit a resonance lately. Bees by Rudolph Steiner (an older book) and some passages in Prodigal Summer (Barbara Kingsolver) give more bee stories.The draping of the beehives when a keeper dies is an ancient custom. I only wish poor May had been buried under the hives! These wonderful sisters, strong, resilient, so beautiful as well!
Rating:
Summary: Sweet as Honey~
Review: The Secret Life of Bees will sting your heart right from the first page. I fell in love with the the main character, Lily, immediately. Lily is a 14-year old girl growing up on a peach farm with a cold & abusive father, T-Ray. When a mishap occurs over the newly enacted Civil Rights Movement, Lily and her black caretaker, Rosaleen, flee from town.By a series of events that can be nothing short of divine intervention, little white Lily, and big, black Rosaleen end up in the charming South Carolina home of three sisters, May, June & August. While Rosaleen bonds with May in the kitchen cooking good old-southern cooking, Lily works with August as a beekeeper's apprentice. Each chapter of The Secret Life of Bees begins with a charming "life of a bee" fact that relates to the chapter that follows. As the story unwinds, secrets of a painful past are revealed, but simultaneously a new and happy life is created. You will experience some painful endings as well as some happy and hopeful beginnings. The Secret Life of Bee's is about facing our pasts, accepting them and finding the "mother in ourselves" to move ahead with strength & love. It's about friendships that aren't bound by color or society, and ultimately about love. This novel, by Sue Monk Kidd now holds a special place in my heart as one of my all time favorite reads.
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