The Secret Life of Bees (Presley Gregory)

Title of Book: The Secret Life of Bees

Author: Sue Monk Kidd

# of Pages 302

Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 

 Why This Book has Value:

The Secret Life of Bees is a heartwarming story about a girl named Lily. Lily’s entire life has been shaped around the very faint memory of the day her mother died. Her father T. Ray picked out an African American woman from his peach farm to act as her stand-in mother. After Rosaleen insults three of the biggest racists in town she and Lily head out of town. What Rosaleen didn’t know was that Lily was on the search to find answers about her mother in a nearby town. Lily and Rosaleen are taken in by three African American beekeeping sisters and are introduced into the captivating world of honey. This is an amazing book on forgiveness and female power.

Setting: 

The beginning of this book takes place in Sylvan, South Carolina. As Lily said, “T.Ray and I lived just outside of Sylvan, South Carolina, population 3,100.” (Kidd 8). Once Rosaleen and Lily take off on their journey they end up in Tiburon, South Carolina. This book takes place in the time period of 1964. “All people ever talked about after church were the negros and whether they’d get their civil rights.” (Kidd 20-21). In the period of 1964, African Americans were granted the right to vote through the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Author:  

Sue Monk Kidd is from Sylvester, Georgia. She graduated from Texas Christian University with a nursing degree. In her 20s she was influenced by the writings of Thomas Merton to find her inner self. So in her 30s, she started taking writing classes at Emory University. Her first published piece was a personal essay from her writing class published by Guideposts. This gave her a job as a contributing editor at Guidepost. She has gone on to write many more great pieces and is still writing today.

Subject Matter:

 This book has a serious topic matter. Racism. It is the main conflict in this book. 

“Well, look what we got coming here,” he called out. “Where’re you going, nigger? Firecrackers made a spattering sound in the distance. “Keep walking,” I whispered. “Don’t pay any attention.” But Rosaleen, who had less sense than I’d dreamed, said in this tone like she was explaining something real hard to a kindergarten student, “I’m going to register my name so I can vote, that’s what.” 

Rosaleen going to vote causes fury in the men and leads to a brawl. The three men against Rosaleen. Rosaleen is later taken to jail where the officer lets the men in her cell to continue beating her. This is all because she wanted to vote.

Theme:

There are a ton of different themes throughout the book. The one I decided to choose to focus on was Forgiveness. “Every person on the face of the earth makes mistakes, Lily. Every last one. We’re all so human. Your mother made a terrible mistake, but she tried to fix it.” August had said. (Kidd ch.12).

Lily has had to learn to forgive throughout this book, “Drifting off to sleep, I thought about her. How nobody is perfect. How you just have to close your eyes and breathe out and let the puzzle of the human heart be what it is.” (Kidd ch.14). The author is trying to convey that we need to forgive to heal.

“The Hunger Games” Book Review

Title: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Number of Pages: 358

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Why this book has value:

The Hunger Games written by Suzanne Collins takes the perspective of Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl in District 12 of Panem. The book starts off on the day of The Reaping, a day that 1 boy and 1 girl from the ages 12-18 from each district are chosen to fight in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games happen once every year where the contestants chose must fight to the death till there is only one person remaining. Katniss’s sister, Primrose, has her name drawn, and Katniss volunteers to take her place. 

Development of Characters

The characters that formed bonds throughout the book, helped push the characters to begin thinking or behaving a new way. The most important and noticeable bond I believe is Peeta and Katniss. We can see the change in Peeta’s behavior in these two quotes. “He hasn’t accepted his death. He is already fighting hard to stay alive. Which also means that kind Peeta Mellark, the boy who gave me the bread, is fighting hard to kill me.” (pg 56) is the realization that Katniss comes to when they begin their training together. “Listen,” he says pulling me to my feet. “We both know they have to have a victor. It can only be one of us. Please, take it. For me.” And he goes on about how he loves me, what life would be without me” (pg 329). I believe that these two quotes show the drastic change of how the bond that he and Katniss have changed Peeta. 

Effectively Targets a Very Specific Audience Group

Suzanne Collins targeted the audience of teens and young adults because she wanted to extend her opinions to a more impressionable group that might be going through these issues. One of those beliefs could be considered anti-establishment based on how she takes the offensive what writing about the government in "The Hunger Games” book. “Gale’s voice is in my head. His ravings against the Capitol no longer pointless, no longer to be ignored.” (pg224) Another belief might be anti-rich based on how she writes about the Capitol citizens. “the shiny cars that roll down the wide paved streets, the oddly dressed people with bizarre hair and painted faces who have never missed a meal.” (pg56) These quotes show the distaste that the author has for people in power or in a place where they don’t really have to worry about what others suffer through based on the lack of money they have. 

Universal Human Experiences

This book connects to the universal experience of survival. The book is all about surviving these horrific games and being able to make it back home to their families. At the end of the day, all humans are tasked with surviving day-to-day and the book reflects that, but through a dystopian filter. 

Connection to Contemporary or "Real World" Issues

This book connects to the real-world problem of starvation and world hunger. Hunger is one of the most prominent issues in the book. Katniss has to work hard to feed her family once her father passes away in an accident and in a flashback recalls when she almost died due to starvation. “It was too much. I was too sick and weak and tired, oh, so tired. Let them call the Peacekeepers and take us to the community home, I thought. Or better yet, let me die right here in the rain.” (pg28) This connects to real life because people all across the world die from starvation or suffer from hunger.