Published in 2001, Sue Monk Kidd's “The Secret Life of Bees” was on the New York Times bestseller list for over a year and a half and was adapted for cinema in 2008.
Set in the 1960s, the story is narrated by 14-year-old Lily Owens. The teenager has a complicated relationship with her father and is tormented by her mother's death when she was 4 years old.
With an accessible and attractive language, the book manages to be captivating by the tasteful metaphors, even if the story is not so compelling all the time. The plot brings a historical portrait of racial segregation, female power, love and faith.
As the protagonist unravels the story, each of these elements appear a little to spice up the chapters that are all introduced with contextualizations of the life and routine of the bees.
The world of bees is deepened in history in several ways, the most strategic being through the directions taken by the teenager, as soon as she runs away from home accompanied by the nanny Rosaleen. Fate takes them to a house of three sisters where she has an apiary.
There, the narrative starts to develop to bring answers about the past, but it also serves to new teachings for the maturation of all involved. A matter of acceptance, forgiveness and new chances for achievement.
Final considerations: the story is interesting and fast, but aspects about faith end up leaving at times the plot tiring or less exciting.