Book Review

Sue Monk Kidd's novel, The Secret Life of Bees, displays Lily Owens and her maid, Rosaleen, escape from a prison like home. The soft spoken book is set in 1964 in the deeply racist state of South Carolina. Lily Owen, a young girl, lives with her father and her maid on the jailed peach farm. Lily has been a motherless child since a very young age. Her father, T.Ray, is a emotionally abusiver father with the lack to care for anyone's need. Rosaleen, the maide, is partly oblivious to some situations but is a strong women who reacts without thinking about the consequences. The book mainly revolves around Lily and wanting to understand her mother's past. When Rosaleen has to go to jail, Lily makes a gutsy move by escaping to Tibourn, where she meets the best replacements for what she has been needing.

1. What was the author's purpose(s) in writing this book, and how can you tell? How well was this purpose achieved?
The author, Sue Monk Kidd, constructes a book surrounding the thoughts of this young white girl, Lily Owens. While Lily is living with an offensive father,T.Ray, they were always arguing. The mentioning of her mother would lead to another argument but her mother is the core of their differences. Their unusual daughter and father relationship is a product of the absents of her mother. Lily must dwell in the memory of losing her mother, as well as her father. Though he does not care to her needs, she and Rosaleen take on an adventure to Tibourn, but Lily secretly wants to know more about her mother. Kidd picks up the pace of the book through Lily and the runaway prisoner Rosaleen, going to Tibourn. The purpose of the book, in my opinion, is a story of every child that doesn't feel the love from their raised enviornment but finds it somewhere else no matter where and who it is. The acceptance of this child can be given by anyone who uderstand why this child has left from wherever they came from. In the end of the book, Lily does find what she has been longing, and the best part is the love and "stand-in-mother" comes from various women, who are the Boatwright sisters. It is obvious to the reader but Lily's doesn't fully get a grip on the concept.

8. Pick a character that interested you and write about them in depth.
The most intriguing character was May Boatwright. May, who had a twin, is one of the Boatwright sisters. The Boatwright sisters, August, June, and May, are the ladies that Lily thinks knows about her mother. While she stays there, on their bee farm, she learns about each sister from August, the eldest Boatwright sister. May is the youngest, who is the psychologically unstable out of the three. She dwells in the pass of her twin but has a grip on how things should be for everyone else but hers. She is the free one of the family, knows her responsibilitie but does her own thing. The sisters don't object because they know why she reacts to certain things. August told Lily that May and her twin had a close bond. Anything one would feel or do, the other would react in the same manner. The loss of her twin was the other half of May. May stresses when she hears someone, she cares for, is taken away. Zach, the boy who helps August was sent to jail, and May took his sentencing to heart. She doesn't show her stess to everyone but to herself.

This book of course has a strong love for bees. In each chapter, their is facts of bees that correlates with the entire chapter. The relationship between the characters and the bees is similar and bees are seen as powerful healers. I like how Kidd takes relates the two because it comes out to become a great match. Anyone can make anything with honey and bees are the source of this honey. I feel the character are seen as the bees and the honey is the love and care that every character posses. Another concept of the book was the deep racisim in the book. Rosleen was delt with the brutality of racism by hand while she was in jail. Rosaleen was left with scars on her forehead but stood strong with her own values. Then Lily got the feeling of what it feels like when she reaches the Boatwright house of three African American sisters. It wasn't all the sisters but June the middle teacher. Lily best stated her feelings when she said, " there was no difference between my piss and June's. That's what I thought when I looked at dark circle on the ground. Piss was piss." The statement shows how much Lily didn't care about the color of the skin but the personality of the person.

This books writting style flows easily to understand. Kidd style of writing is greatened by writing as if a child was writing this. The reader is seeing throug every detail of Lily Owens. Sometimes people may be annoyed by her, but she was an authentic child character living in this time. Each character is different, possesing a certain personality that is loved by the end of the book. I felt the time period of racism and hatred towards colored people but saw the other perspective. The various situation within a story adds on to what a reader is looking for. Taken into a different world of hatred within Lily and her father, she takes what she has and leaves. The freedom of Lily and Rosaleen builds onto their characters and what they both yearn for in the beginning of the book. The end result may please some but one particular part wanted me to have a sequel. This book is a very sad but admiring book to read for all ages. Lily is possesing everything when she lost her mother.

Lit #3

This book really brought sadness and joy. The saddest part was when May died in the river. I didn't expect that to happen even though the book revealed she had a problem with losing her twin, who shot herself. August and June seemed to see it coming. Thought they saw it coming they steal were grieving after the funeral. Another sad part of the book was when Zach is in jail. While reading, Lily feared he would come out angry against whites because of the way the whites treated Rosaleen. Fortunatley he did not and came out with twice as much determination to become a lawyer. I felt relief because I really wanted them to remain a friends, until they get older and become a couple. This sad moment became a "happily ever after" moment.

One part I was really confused on was when T.Ray came to the Boatwright. It was as if he came with anger and gave up, so he left. Lily even asked who shot her mother, and he said T.Ray. I honestly wouldn't be suprised if he shot her. I geuss when Lily hugged her, he felt some type of emotion that made him feel right to leaving her alone.

The biggest and finishing part was the truth about her mother. She had so much resentment to her mother for leaving her but found a family in the Boatwright house. Her mother was going to come back but Lily shot her before taking her. She has to live with it but she is living happily with the Boatwright family.

Rugby

My rugby season is suprisingly going well. This year team is definatley dominated with more rookies, such as I, but still show some heart to what we learn every practice. I don't know what I would be playing if I wasn't playing rugby. Though I don't show it as much, I am very happy to playing this sport. I have tried to figure out what sport fits me the best and being athletic, I tried a "popular" sports. Football showed how much strength and courage I have. I didn't want to be known for playing football but I geuss I stood out. Basketball was difficult for me, the rules seemed to be too much and nothing flowed in a game. I one of players that stood out in practice but nothing would show in the games. I dreaded playing basketball and football games for the longest time. My coaches saw something in me and expected more, when I let them down it frustrated me more. Waterpolo was a joke to me, I tried taking it seriously but I was horrible. While everyone was swimming across the pool, I chilled out in the edge of the pool keeping my head up. Though everyone was a month ahead I was terrible with trying to keep up. I practiced only two days and then quit. My coach,who I knew through basketball, seemed to understand my position. What a relief to leave and know I was giving up anything important. I didn't feel like a quiter, just someone trying to find her place in this world of sports. Land sports, that is definatley my thing. Rugby was always in the back of my head but didn't seem so important, I considered playing badminton, but it was out of my comfort zone. So finally I decided to play the sport I said I would join my freshman year which is Rugby.
First of Rugby I had jitters, didn't know how the team would fit me in. I anticipated on playing a back but became a forward. I played positions I thought I would never play. I enjoy them but still would prefer to be a back. Our team doesn't have many strong or big players, one of the reasons I became a forward. Rugby fits me in taking out my aggresion, catching, running, and my favorite, hitting. Honestly it is the best part of the game, you won't get hurt if you run fast and hard. I've been told I'm not the type of person to fight or be anrgy but I do have things in life that need to be delt with aggression. Rugby completes that for me and this sport has done more for me. For one, my mom isn't telling me to work out, though pratice is twice a week I have put some more effort of the field. Running for instance in the morning has made me happier. This sport has brought me bliss and sometype of balance I can't explain. We have one three games, shuting out all three but lost one which I will not talk about. In my next game I hope to score and go hard to help my team win.

Letter #2

The book has shown the difference of Tibourn from where Lily came from in her father's Peach Farm. Since she is living with the Boatwright's, August, June, and May, they have given her and Rosaleen a place to sleep and eat. Not all for free, they must work on the bee farm of theres and work to help August. I think the work that Lily does is twice as more interesting then what her father gave her. I like how June doesn't like Lily because of her skin color and Lily was taken a back from her not liking her for who she is. When Lily wrote "Ther was no difference between my piss and June's. That's what I thought when I looked at the dark circle on the ground. Piss was piss." I don't feel Lily was trying to say June was piss but that there was nothing different between June and Lily. June constantly looks at Lily with dislike of course, but not to Rosaleen. When they finally laught together, it made the book more lovely. That they are bonding and showing nothing is different.
I liked how Lily met Zach Taylor. The saddening part that they would never be becuase of that time, I can't wait to see what is going to happen between the two. They have grown to be the best of friends and Lily's first official crush but since they are differnt skin colors she gets really sad. I hope they work out together in the end. Lily never looses her mind of why she is living there. The thought of her mother keeps coming into her head, and through nightmares. I think the nightmares may show some truth to the fact that her father was right. That Deborah, Lily's mother, did leaver her. When Lily asked May about knew a Deborah, she says yes. That strengths Lily to search for more information about her mother. I can't wait until she actually reveals the truth behind the reason she is living with the Boatwrights. I have a feeling all the truth will reveal itself when T.Ray makes his way to Tibourn. When Lily called T.Ray, I think he would find the house that he got the call from and then find Lily.
The author Sue Monk Kidd shows a more exciting and loving life for Lily when she is with the Boatwrights. I could see Lily ending up staying there and growing old with Zach. That is only my imagination of a fairy tale ending but it would be a great ending to the book.

Obesity

In class today we watched the TED video about obesity in children, specifically in the U.S.This video reminded me about my family. In my mother side I believe diabetes runs through the family, two of my closest aunts and my grandmother have diabetes. I have had family members who have died from diabetes. On my dad's side, my grandmother also has diabetes. I don't see anything wrong with them, besides being overweight. On my mom's side that is a very common feature about Tongans. They blame it coming to the U.S and eating fast food but still there are high amount of overweight Tongans in the islands of Tonga. I read in an article that 60% of Tongans are overweight, I don't know how legit that statement is. I feel like it is growing on my mom's family and we are the new generation of kids to stop it. In my dad's side my grandmother looks like any other grandmother but when we eat McDonalds, she eats the Eat Right microwaved dinners. I wouldn't mind eating Eat Right because they aren't that bad. It hurts to know the relation to the number of deaths and diabetes in my family.
In our household, my parents have treated to the nasties of junk of food, but we don't see that way. We have oreos, chips ahoy, lays chips, ice cream, ho-hos, brownies, and tons of sugar filled, processed food. I see them as treats for our lunch and desert. My brothers see them as anytime snack. We are an active family but my brother's don't understand the concept of health risks in all these junk foods. We do love to cook, or mostly my dad. My dad's the chef of the house and there always delicious and healthy. It is usually healthy because my mom tries to limit sugar and fat in our food. I have learned to cook some dishes from my parents and my grandmother. Besides having junk food, we love to eat fruits and alot of granola bars. Learning what is healthy and cooking will help in preventing diabetes to further generations.
Like I said we are an active family. My brothers and I play multiple sports, we may not be the best, but we always try and we like to be outside. My mom likes to run and my dad likes to swim. We are a strong family unit so we always try to stay that way. When I told them about the TED video today, my parents listened and took consideration. I doubt they will take on new tasks of staying healthy and fully acknowledging diabetes in our families. It's a slow process but I'm interested in stopping the family health history.

Letter

This book has shown to be very sad and depressing for just one girl to handle. Gabriel is living in this jail, as she calls it with her father, T.Ray, and their servant Rosaleen. The part of the book that really touched me was how her mother died. It shocked me to find out that it was her that accidentally shot the gun at her mother at a very young age. Living with, so far, a heartless father that constantly shakes this skinny girl to bring sometype of sense to her. I do love how she tries to stay with her mother by faint memories, that add up after hearing more about her. The African American version of Virgin Mary shows more about her mother, and personally I think her mother was losing herself, living with T.Ray in a town that isfull of peaches and Baptist Churches. Rosaleen is seen as an incoherent servant, but tries to prove her equality to white people. When Rosaleen was arrested, she was treated badly with beatings and scars on her head because she was standing up for herself, eventaully going to the hospital. This part brought realism to what was happing in that time.

The author, Sue Monk Kidd, brings a connection between Gabriel and the world. When they reach August house, I think that was when she was more free from anywhere else. I really want to know why her mother went to the Auguste's house in Tiburoun and then returned for her clothing. I have a feeling her father will do the same by finding Garbriel and beat her because she left him like her mother did. Probably one of the reasons of so much hatred built up inside of him. I love how Gabriel takes the risk of leaving her father and sneaks Rosaleen out with her. She shows bravery and witt when she comes up with lies, that of course will eventually catch up with her. Rosaleen and her show a connection, like they were sisters from different parents. I am eager to see what will eventaully unfold from all of her lies and how long her father will find out where she is. Especially finding that she is living with African Americans.