Set during the American Civil Rights movement, The Secret Life of Bees is a novel especially geared towards young women, preaching self-love and is a true coming-of-age novel.

Young white Lily Owens meticulously helps her surrogate black mother escape prison after insulting the three most racist men in town. After running away from her abusive father and the racists of Sylvan, South Carolina, Lily and Rosaleen head to the beekeeping home of the Boatwright sisters. Their home in Tiburon, the town mysteriously connected to Lily’s dead mother, teaches Lily about self-love and her past.

While searching for the truth about Lily’s mother, the novel delves into the bonds formed between mother and daughter. It shows prominent women figures in place of motherhood, and exhibits strong role models. Not only does it show the strength in women, but it brings racial issues to light. Between the backlash Rosaleen faces from having colored skin, to the powerful stance and impact the Boatwright sisters have on Lily, the novel contains insight towards the realistic tensions amidst this time. She learns to see things through Rosaleen and the sisters’ eyes, through those of a colored persons. The plot of The Secret Life of Bees flows along smoothly, making it an enjoyable read with a bit of suspense leaving the reader hanging on to every word. Between Lily’s relatable spunkiness and the authentic Southern charm of the novel, The Secret Life of Bees is one sweet read you will not want to put down.