"The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd

I quite enjoyed this book.  I saw the movie several years ago and remembered liking it, so I was excited to read the book.  I was surprised at some of the important plot devices I had forgotten about from the movie and was glad to be able to revisit this story.

One of the things I liked most about this book was the analogies Kidd used to help with visualizations and the beautiful way she was able to describe things and make you feel and understand completely.
Phrases like: "A girl could get lost on twenty-eight acres.  She could open a trap door and disappear."
"The first week at August's was a consolation, a pure relief.  The world will give you that once in a while, a brief time-out; the boxing bell rings and you go to your corner, where somebody dabs mercy on your beat up life."
And "It was the in-between time, before day leaves and night comes, a time I've never been partial to because of the sadness that lingers in the space between going and coming."
One thing I have always admired in writers is their ability to paint bright and vivid pictures with their words.

When I was in high school, I took an advanced drama class where we talked a little bit about script analysis.  One thing we were told to look for in a script was what is called a "spine line."  This is essentially the one line in the script that can summarize the entire theme of the play.  If I had to choose a spine line for The Secret Life of Bees, I would say it is when August states, "Every little things wants to be loved."
We see this is her instructions to send love to the bees, of course, but we see it more prominently in Lily.  The entire story truly revolves around Lily's need and desire to be loved.  It reached it's peak, I think, in that moment when she declares herself "unlovable" because of what happened to her mother.

Another thing that stuck out to me was when Lily said: "I don't mean to be a bad person.  I just can't seem to help it.  I do all the wrong things..."
How many of us have felt this way?  I know I have.  There have been times in my life where I get overwhelmed and feel like I can't do anything right.  I get frustrated when things don't go the way I want them to or think they should.  And although it was not her immediate response, I felt what August said at the end of the chapter was a powerful reply.
"There is nothing perfect.  There is only life."

I thought this was a beautiful story of love and forgiveness - particularly forgiving yourself, which I think is sometimes harder than forgiving others.  I hope you all enjoyed this book as much as I did.  Let me know what you thought!