SetintheAmericanSouthin1964,theyearoftheCivilRightsActandintensifying

racialunrest,SueMonkKidd's
TheSecretLifeofBees
isapowerfulstoryof
comingofage,oftheabilityoflovetotransformourlives,andtheoften
unacknowledgedlongingfortheuniversalfemininedivine.Addressingthewoundsof
loss,betrayal,andthescarcityoflove,Kidddemonstratesthepowerofwomen
comingtogethertohealthosewounds,tomothereachotherandthemselves,andto
createasanctuaryoftruefamilyandhome.

IsolatedonaSouthCarolinapeachfarmwithaneglectfulandharshfather,
fourteenyearoldLilyOwenshasspentmuchofherlifelongingforhermother,
Deborah,whodiedamidmysteriouscircumstanceswhenLilywasfouryearsold.To
makemattersworse,herfather,T.Ray,tellsLilythatsheaccidentallykilledher
mother.
LilyisraisedbyRosaleen,herproudandoutspokenAfricanAmericannanny.When
Rosaleenattemptstoexercisehernewlywonrighttovote,sheisattackedbythe
threeworstracistsintownandisthrownintojail.Lilyisdeterminedtosave
Rosaleenandfinallyescapeherownfatheraswell.Seizingthemoment,shesprings
Rosaleenfromjail,andthetwosetoutacrossSouthCarolinainsearchofanewlife.

TheirdestinationisTiburon,SouthCarolina

atowntheyknownothingaboutexcept
thatinaboxofLily'smother'sbelongingsthereisacrypticpictureofablackVirgin
Marywiththewords"Tiburon,SouthCarolina"writtenontheback.Theretheyare
takeninbythreeblackbeekeepingsisterswhoworshiptheBlackMadonna.Itis
here,surroundedbythestrengthoftheMadonna,thehumofbees,andacircleof
wiseandcolorfulwomen,thatLilymakesherpassagetowholenessandanewlife.

CapturedbythevoiceofthisSouthernadolescent,onebecomesenvelopedinthe
hotSouthCarolinasummerandoneofmosttumultuoustimesthecountryhasever
seen.Astoryofmotherslostandfound,love,conviction,andforgiveness,
The
SecretLifeofBees
boldlyexploreslife'swoundsandrevealsthedeepermeaningof
homeandtheredemptivesimplicityof"choosingwhatmatters."

Intheend,thoughshecannotfindthemothershelost,Lilydiscoversandcomesto
termswithhermother'spast,findsahiveofnewmothers,andfallsinlovewiththe
greatuniversalmother.

topofthepage

1.
WereyousurprisedtolearnthatT.Rayusedtobedifferent,thatoncehetruly
lovedDeborah?HowdoyouthinkDeborah'sleavingaffectedhim?Diditshedany
lightonwhyT.RaywassocruelandabusivetoLily?
Iwassurprisedbutalsokindof

dubious.T.Rayhadntexactlyseemedlikethetypeofpersontobefullyvulnerableand
openwithLilyashejusthad.IthinkT.Rayisntawarmorkindheartedperson,butwith
DeborahandLilyhewasthefatherfigureeveryonedeserves.Idothinkthathelikedthis
versionofhimself,andDeborahhadbroughtthatoutinhimbecausehelovedherand
hadmadeherhappy.SowhenLilyaccidentallyshother,theonlypartthatwasleftofher

wasLilyandshehadtakenheraway.Andhedidntknowwhethertoloveandcherish
theaspectsofDeborahorhateLily,anditmusthavebeeneasierforhimtohateLily.

2.
Hadyoueverheardof"kneelingongrits"?WhatqualitiesdidLilyhavethat
allowedhertosurvive,endure,andeventuallythrive,despiteT.Ray?
Ihaveheardof

kneelingongrits,IthinkmyunclewhogrewupinVirginiahadmentionedsomething
likethat.ButwhatgotLilythroughthatwasherdeterminationtobehappyandtogetout
ofhertown.Shewasdeterminedtofindtheonlyconnectionshehadtohermother,
outsideofT.Ray.

3.
Whoisthequeenbeeinthisstory?
AugustBoatwright

4.
Lily'srelationshiptoherdeadmotherwascomplex,rangingfromguiltto
idealization,tohatred,toacceptance.Whathappenstoadaughterwhenshe
discovershermotheronceabandonedher?IsLilyright

wouldpeoplegenerally
ratherdiethanforgive?WasitharderforLilytoforgivehermotherorherself?
Icant

imaginenotgrowingupwithamother,muchlessfindingoutsheabandonedme.Iwould
feelawholemixofthings,IcantimaginewhatLilywouldbefeeling.Ithinkitwas
harderforLilytoforgiveherself,Iknowitwouldbeforme.IfeelthatmaybeLilycould
empathizeorunderstandthathermotherwasnthappywithT.Ray.Idontthinkthatsthe
casebutitsprobablywhatLilywouldbethinking.ItmustbealmostimpossibleforLily
toforgiveherselfforshootinghermother.Despiteherbeingfouranditbeingan
accident.IdontthinkIcouldlivewithmyselfknowingIdidthat.

5.
Lilygrewupwithouthermother,butintheendshefindsahousefullofthem.
Haveyoueverhadamotherfigureinyourlifewhowasn'tyourtruemother?Have
youeverhadtoleavehometofindhome?
Ilovemymotherdearly,butIdefinitely

haveotherwomeninmylifethataremotherfigures.Andthoserelationshipsareso
important.Itssovaluabletohaveanotherparentalfigureinyourlifewhoyoutrustjust
asmuchandfeeljustathomewith.

7.
HadyoueverheardoftheBlackMadonna?Whatdoyouthinkofthestory
surroundingtheBlackMadonnainthenovel?Howwouldthestorybedifferentifit
hadbeenapictureofawhiteVirginMary?Doyouknowwomenwhoseliveshave
beendeepenedorenrichedbyaconnectiontoanempoweringDivineMother?
I

hadnteverheardoftheblackmadonna.Ithinkthestorywouldbedrasticallydifferentif
thepicturewasofawhiteMary.IdontthinkitwouldhaveintruigedLilyasmuch,andI
dontthinktheBoatwrightsisterswouldbethesamepeopletheyare.Theywouldntfeel
asconnectedtotheirhoney,Idontthink.Idontknowanyonepersonallywhofeelsa
deepspiritualconnectiontosomethinglikethis,butIunderstandthereasonsforhaving
thatbelief.

8.
Whyisitimportantthatwomencometogether?Whatdidyouthinkofthe
"CalendarSisters"andtheDaughtersofMary?Howdidbeinginthecompanyofthis
circleoffemalestransformLily?

BeingwiththeBoatwrightsistersempowersLilyinawaythatshewouldnthavebeen
abletoexperiencebackinherhometown.Shesexposedtoawayoflifeshehadnt
thoughtcouldbe,threewomenlivingwithoutamanandthriving.Ilovethefactthatthe
Boatwrightsisterslivethewaytheydoandhaveeachothertodependon.TheDaughters
ofMaryjustaddstotheircompletelyoutofthenormforthateralifestyle.Lilylearnsa
lotaboutherselfjustthreeweeksintolivingwiththem,whoshewantstpbeintheworld
andhowshewantstodoit.

9.
Maybuiltawailingwalltohelphercometotermswiththepainshefelt.Even
thoughwedon'thaveMay'scondition,dowealsoneed"rituals,"likewailingwalls,to
helpusdealwithourgriefandsuffering?
Ithinkeveryonehastheirownwayof

greivingwithritualsorsomethinglikethewailingwall.Likepeoplewriteinjournals,
talktotheirfriends,orgototherapy.Somepeoplehaveunhealthierwaysofdealingwith
grief,likesurpressingfeelingsordrinkingordrugs.ButIthinkitreallyhelpstohavea
wayofexpressingyourfeelingsorgrieftomakeyourselffeelbetter.

10.
HowwouldyoudescribeLilyandZach'srelationship?Whatdrewthemtogether?
Didyourootforthemtobetogether?

IthinkLilyandZachhaveareallywonderfulfriendship,thatcouldeasilybearomantic
relationship.Interracialrelationshipswerenotasociallyacceptablethingatthistimein
America,andIthinktheybothareawareofthat.Itsclearthattheirfeelingsfor
eachotherarethere,buttheymightnotwanttothinkabout/focusonthemknowingitsan
unrealisticthingtowantatthatpointintime.

11.
Projectintothefuture.DoesLilyeverseeherfatheragain?Doesshebecomea
beekeeper?Awriter?WhathappenstoRosaleen?WhathappenstoLilyandZach?
WhowouldZachbetoday?

IdontthinkLilyeverseesT.Rayagain.Idontthinkhegoestolookforher,and

Idontthinkshegoestolookforhim.Ithinkshewouldthinkaboutseeinghimalot,and
Ithinkshewantstobesheneverletsherself.IthinkLilykeepsintouchwiththe
boatwrightfamilyaftershegraduateshighschool.Ithinkshegoestoawomenscollege
upnorth,likeVassarorsomethingwhereshesaroundliberalpeoplewhoareusedto
moreintegration.Ithinkshebecomesawriter,butfrequentlygoesdownsouthtovisit
AugustandJuneandNeilandtheirkids.IthinkRosaleenstaysthereinTiburonwiththe
Boatwrights,butdiesearlyinlifebecauseofnotbeingthathealthy.IthinkLilyand
ZachstayintouchandIdothinktheyalwayshavefeelingsforeachother,butIdont
thinktheyeverareabletobetogetheruntillaterinlife.ButIthinkZachgoestoablack
collegeandfindswork,butIdontthinkheevergetsasfarashehaddreamed.Whichis
sad,buttharswhatIthinkhappens.