The Secret Life of Bees

by Sue Monk Kidd

Forgiveness, Healing, , Love, and Wholeness

Read this NOW. If you are a mother, daughter, sister...Read this life changing book! This is a powerful story that should be read and discussed by women from all walks of life. Put this on this list for your Book Discussion Group. My copy has a wonderful section designed for discussion groups. I used the questions to help me further digest and contemplate the words, the story, and their application to my life.

Sue Monk Kidd is a brilliant author.

Here are some of my favorite excerpts:

"People, in general, would rather die than forgive. It's that hard. If God said in plain language, "I'm giving you a choice, forgive or die,", a lot of people would go ahead and order their coffin."

"People can start out one way, and by the time life gets through with them they end up completely different."

"If you need something from somebody, always give that person a way to hand it to you."

"You have to find a mother inside yourself. We all do. Even if we already have a mother, we still have to find this part of ourselves inside."

Speaking of The Virgin Mother Mary (She was at the center of the worship in this book. This wisdom applies to the power of God, our Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ)

"When you are unsure of yourself.....when you start pulling back in doubt and small living, she's the one inside saying, "Get up from there and live like the glorious girl you are. She's the power inside you, you understand?"

"And whatever it is that keeps widening your heart, that's Mary, too, not only the power inside you but the love. And when you get down to it, Lily, that's the only purpose grand enough for a human life. Not just to love--but to persist in love."

"She will suddenly rise, and when she does, she does not go up, up into the sky, but further and further inside me. August says she goes into the holes life has gouged out of us." (Speaking of the Assumption of Mary)

"She is a muscle of love, this Mary."

Speaking of meeting her mother (who died when she was 4 I don't want to give too much of the story away)

"The next ten thousand years she would fix my hair. She would brush it into such at tower of beauty, people all over heaven would drop their hard just to admire it. You can tell which girls lack mothers by the look of their hair."

I will be forever grateful for the day last week when this book jumped off the shelf at me. It was practically screaming... READ ME TODAY, and that is what I did as we travelled to and from Gainesville.I have had it on my "to read" list for months.

What appears to be a simple story told by a fourteen year old girl, Lily, is a powerful message. The pages are filled with wisdom, healing, and depth.

Keep a pencil, highlighter, and/or journal close by as you read, you will want to make notes or mark the areas of impact and interest to you!

Ask a friend or a group to read it with you and then set aside a large chunk of time for discussion. (A Box of tissues should accompany you to the discussion)

Have you read this book?

If so, did you enjoy it?

Did you see the movie?

What are some of your favorite books?