The Secret Life of Bees was a fascinating story about true family and love. The main part of this story is when Lily Owens the main character is haunted by the memory of the one afternoon her mother was killed. Her and her “Stand-in Mother” Rosaleen end up running away to find out more about Lily’s mother. They stop at a pink house in Tiburon, South Carolina and start a new life with three colored sisters August, June, and May. You see Rosaleen is colored but Lily is a white girl. That doesn’t go over well with some of the neighbors but Lily learns to deal with it. She learns all about beekeeping, and while she is there also falls in love with a colored boy named Zach. This book shows the true meaning of female power, of three colored women taking in Rosaleen and Lily and the five women living without others getting in the way.


I would definitely recommend this book for middle school students. It gives you the feeling of power and encouragement. It lets you know that it’s okay to feel down sometimes, and it’s good to let it out. This book lets you see the true meaning of family, and the true meaning of love. The Secret Life of Bees gives you so much detail it’s like a movie playing through you head the whole time you’re reading it. I think everyone should read this book. That is why I would recommend this book for all middle school students.