Secret Life of Bees, the

Penguin Books, 2001. 2ND. SOFTCOVER. VERY GOOD. LATER. 7.92 x 5.24 x 0.61 inches. pp. 312. Publisher Penguin Books; 1st edition (January 28, 2003) Language English SOFTCOVER 312 pages ISBN-10 0142001740 ISBN-13 978-0142001745 Reading age 18 years and up Lexile measure 840L Item Weight 8.2 OUNCES Dimensions 7.92 x 5.24 x 0.61 inches. Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted Black stand-in mother, Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina-a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of Black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna. This is a remarkable novel about divine female power, a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.