The Secret Life of Bees (book & movie)

Yet another book that I really enjoyed. As I read the book, knowing I was seeing the movie Friday night, I wondered how they would fit certain parts of the book into the movie because quite a bit of the book were thoughts Lily had. They did fit a few in but for the most part, they were left out. I went to the movie with two friends, one of which read the book a long time ago and the other has my copy to read now. Both enjoyed the movie but there were parts they questioned, like kneeling on grits and asked what that was about during the movie. They don't enlighten you during the movie, but show the end result on Lily's knees. Like any movie they altered parts of the book. The movie is worth seeing but I definitely preferred the book.

The book starts off with Lily, a 14 yr. old girl, looking at some things her mother had that she kept hidden by a peach tree in the orchard. Her father comes out after her in the night and we get the first impression that he is quite harsh with his punishment of kneeling in grits. His business is peaches and Lily sits at a stand by the roadside selling peaches. When her mother died, one of the workers in the field, Rosaleen, becomes Lily's care giver. The Voting Rights Act is signed and Rosaleen and Lily head into town so Rosaleen can register to vote. There ends up being some trouble and they end up in jail. Lily's father, T. Ray gets Lily and takes her home and lets her know that Rosaleen will probably end up dead. Lily helps Rosaleen escape from the hospital and they head to Tiburon, a place on the back of a picture her mother had.

Once in Tiburon, they come across honey and learn where the maker of the honey lives. The honey jars have the same label of the picture her mother had. Lily ends up an "apprentice" beekeeper and Rosaleen helps one of the sisters in the kitchen. Lily lies about where she is from, where she is going, her parents, etc. Lily is really hoping to learn more about her mother from these people and at one point realizes her mother had been there and asked May if she knew her mother and she did. The books goes on with the day to day and the lives of the 3 sisters and Lily as they become more involved with each other. Eventually, Lily fesses up and the beekeeper, August, knew all along who she was because she had been the caregiver of Lily's mother when she was young. T. Ray shows up at August's home and wants to take Lily home but she won't go and August gives him a way to leave her there saving face.