Secret Life of Bees

'I adored The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention Of Wings, which were both wise, charming and sensual' SANTA MONTEFIORE STAGE VERSION COMING TO LONDON'S ALMEIDA THEATRE!The Secret Life of Bees: The multi-million-copy bestselling novel about a young girl's journey towards healing and the transforming power of love, from the award-winning author of The Invention of Wings. Lily has grown up believing she accidentally killed her mother when she was four years old. Now, at fourteen, she yearns for forgiveness and a mother's love. Living on a peach farm in South Carolina with her harsh and unforgiving father, she has only one friend, Rosaleen, a black servant.When racial tension explodes one summer afternoon, and Rosaleen is arrested and beaten, Lily chooses to flee with her. Fugitives from justice, the pair follow a trail left by the woman who died ten years before. Finding sanctuary in the home of three beekeeping sisters, Lily starts a journey as much about her understanding of the world as about the mystery surrounding her mother. 'A wonderful book, by turns sad, full of incident and shot through with grown-up magic reminiscent of Joanne Harris' Daily Telegraph'Charming, funny, moving' The Times'Wonderfully written, powerful, poignant...read it' Joanna TrollopeWhat readers are saying about The Secret Life of Bees:'One of the most poignant and heart tugging books I have ever read' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars'Emotional and heart-breaking, yet full of hope and love. I laughed and cried equally through the book. This wonderful book will stay with me for a long time to come' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars'One of the best books I've read in a while. Touching, well-written, beautiful, full of expression, insightful' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'A beautifully written masterpiece. I loved the writing, the descriptions, the humour sprinkled through the story. There was sadness and love, hope and forgiveness. I highly recommend this book' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

Moving, original, and accomplished ... wonderfully written, powerful, poignant, and humorous, and takes a line which is - refreshingly - strongly female without being cliche-feminist. It is also deliciously eccentric, which lifts it out of the usual category of a rite-of-passage novel into the realms of real distinction. Do read it, Charming, funny, moving and unmistakeably from the American South... a story that whips together heat, violence, eccentricity, madness and the Gothic, This is a wonderful book, by turns funny, sad, full of incident and shot through with grown-up magic reminiscent of Joanne Harris., Eccentric, inventive, and ultimately forgiving... a truly original Southern voice, Monk Kidd has created a narrative as skilful and sweet as a honeycomb. Uplifting and warm-hearted, this is a moving novel and Lily is a fascinating, funny and clever narrator

Sue Monk Kidd's first novel, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, spent 2.5 years on the New York Times bestseller list, and has sold over 8 million copies worldwide. THE MERMAID CHAIR, THE INVENTION OF WINGS and THE BOOK OF LONGINGS were all New York Times bestsellers. THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES was long-listed for the Orange Prize (now the Women's Prize for Fiction), and was turned into an award-winning film.Sue is also the author of several acclaimed non-fiction books including the New York Times bestseller TRAVELLING WITH POMEGRANATES, co-written with her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor. Sue lives in Florida with her husband Sandy. www.suemonkkidd.comTwitter @suemonkkidd