The Secret Life of Bees

The Secret Life of Bees Summary | Plot Summary

When the Civil Rights Act is signed in 1964, it rocks the Deep South of America and sets in motion a series of catastrophic events. Racial hatred explodes, and many innocent black Americans are beaten or even killed. In South Carolina, a black housekeeper named Rosaleen Daily sees it as freedom of expression and recognition of equality for black Americans. For Lily Melissa Owens, a white fourteen-year-old American, it means watching those she loves be persecuted and allowing injustice to punish the only person she cares about, Rosaleen, her housekeeper.

As Rosaleen and Lily head into Sylvan, South Carolina, they encounter white men with a racial vendetta, landing Rosaleen in prison where she is brutally beaten. Lily, realizing that nobody is prepared to help Rosaleen accept her, refuses to stand idle and watch white men intimidate and ridicule her substitute mother. Lily rescues Rosaleen from torment and certain death and thus begins their journey of discovery.

Confused, Lily tries to understand racism, the death of her natural mother and why her father, T-Ray, feels he is unable to love her while she and Rosaleen run from the law. Believing that the things her mother left in the attic are clues, Lily devises a plan that will not only save them from incarceration but also answer the questions she feels are clouding her judgement and compromising her lifestyle.

Traveling to Tiburon, South Carolina, Lily hopes to unfold the mystery that surrounds her mother's death. Here, she and Rosaleen meet the Boatwright sisters, a bee-keeping trio that worships the Black Madonna. Welcomed not only into their household but also into their sisterhood, Rosaleen and Lily individually discover answers and are guided by August, May and June Boatwright and their beliefs. The Black Madonna, her wisdom, her strength and her guidance preside over the Boatwright household, creating a deep and significant religious meaning for a young and impressionable Lily. These gifted sisters shed light on life's methodologies and provide an incredible support structure for a scared and uncertain Lily as she comes of age.

A truly believable tale that provides an inspirational insight into life in the 60s, The Secret Life of Bees is a story of discovering your heritage, uncovering hidden secrets and maturing to become a caring, considerate and compassionate individual, despite adversity. It is about understanding your weaknesses, improving and developing yourself to make weaknesses become strengths and knowing the truth about who to trust in life.