“A sharply well-written novel about a girl” —  …Most of the book reviews or summaries may entitle it as a story about a girl. But I rather think of it this way: The Secret Life of Bees is a sharply well-written novel about a group of females who stand by one another, lifting each other up to full strength and independency, making even the weakest among them blossom to glow.

The novel is written from a smart young girl’s perspective, who has been through way more than a girl her age should have to handle — the loss of her mother being not the only thing she has to cope with. Yet, she has a witty sarcasm and lively language, using metaphores that perfectly transfer her feelings to the reader. You want to cry, shout and run away with the character. You laugh out loud, you put on a big smile and you feel pride. All that Kidd accomplishes with her narration. At times, I had difficulties to keep reading on as of some pages in the middle of the book that just did not seem to get anywhere. If you feel the same way, just read on, you will find that these pages in fact do get somewhere, somewhere that deserves your patience.

The Secret Life of Bees featured interesting facts about bees and beekeeping, sometimes alluding precisely to the storyline.

This book is full of valuable life lessons when read deliberately. The lesson of being a bigger person, of just getting over the frustration, the sadness or anger that are parts of our lives and to take matters in your own hand. The lesson about standing up for oneself and for those who one cares about.

It reminds me a big deal of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffmann, both novels equally heart-rending and inspiring.

-your tiny woman in a giant world