Historical Fiction: The Secret Life of Bees

In my original learning plan, I talked about wanting to read The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. As a preface to this review, I would advise anyone who's thinking about reading it not to see the movie first. Not because the movie isn't worth seeing (it is), but it is one of the rare movies that follows the book to a tee. Having seen the movie first, there really were no surprises or unexpected plot twists I found while reading, or even moments where I found myself thinking "hmmm that's so different from the movie."

One of the things I was impressed about with this book was the way that it tackles issues of the theme of racism head-on. No beating around the bush. There are moments when she uses language that makes us cringe in our modern day. There are moments when the characters are so ignorant it makes you facepalm. But there are almost moments of surprise for Lily as she tests the boundaries of what she has been raised in.

It was foolish to think some things were beyond happening, even being attracted to Negroes. I'd honestly thought such a thing couldn't happen, the way water could not run uphill or salt could not taste sweet. A law of nature. Maybe it was a simple matter of being attracted to what I couldn't have. Or maybe desire kicked in when it pleased without noticing the rules we lived and died by.

The author does a great job of remembering the character's voice. Lily wants to be a writer, and there are moments when she writes like it, such as when she speaks in metaphors about how "salt could not taste sweet" in terms of attraction. She's conscious of the character's development and acknowledgment of the rules of society. 

There is a great scene in Chapter 8 when August asks Lily a question she has never been asked before - what do you love? It's a question she is thrilled to answer, but it also reveals a lot about her character in the things she doesn't say but narrates in her first person dialogue.

Right off the bat I wanted to say I loved the picture of my mother, how she was leaning against the car with her hair looking just like mine, plus her gloves and her picture of the black Mary with unpronounceable name, but I had to swallow that back. "Well, I love Rosaleen, and I love writing stories and poems - just give me something to write and I will love it...This may be silly, but after school I love Coca-Cola with salted peanuts poured in the bottle. And when I'm finished with it, I love turning up the bottle to see where it came from...And I love the color blue- the real bright blue like the hat Mary had on at the Daughters of Mary meeting. And since coming here, I've learned to love bees and honey." I wanted to add, And you, I love you, but I felt too awkward.

Her hidden feelings are discoveries are in red and are her thoughts, but the author uses more direct language to convey these. More straight forward. The things that are superficial, like loving Coca-Cola, she describes with imagery.

Overall, I'd recommend this book. It's easy to read, but the complexity of the themes and issues can be hard to swallow if you're not prepared. It has heavy content, especially in terms of self-guilt, but it's also this part that is applicable to our own lives.