The Secret of Bees

                The first time I read this book was in the sixth grade, usually during math class. I know that is really irresponsible but math is so boring and the book was really good. But anyway what I want to say is that I loved reading this book and it is one of my favorites of all times. The reason why is because I like reading books that are during the height of racisms in America which is somewhere around the sixties. I like reading the perspective of both blacks and whites of this period and it really intrigues me of the kinds of things that were happening in the south but it is really saddening to read this kinds of racism in America during those times.

                In this book the setting is happening in the south during the sixties especially in 1964 in Sylvan, South Carolina. The heroine of this story is from a fourteen years old white girl named Melissa Owens. She lives on a peach farm with her father who she calls T. Jay who usually ignores her or is abusive. But she also lives with her nanny and housekeeper Rosaleen Daise who is an African American women that has a lot of sass in her. But she has cared for Lily for the last ten years of her life since the death of her mother. The story really takes off when Rosaleen went and tried to vote. But then she is sopped by some white men who started to bother Rosaleen. So Rosaleen retaliated by pouring out her spit in a jar on their shoes in turn making the men beat her up in front of Lily. The police arrives and arrested Rosaleen. But when Lily hears from T. Ray that they might kill Rosaleen she decides to sneak away and free Rosaleen and run away from the law. But an important factor of the story is that Lily has a clue about her mother that leads her to the family called the Boatrights. They are a local black all female family that are beekeepers and live in a pepto- bismol colored house. But the thing is that Lily doesn’t tell them the truth of about her and Rosaleen of where they came from and why were there.  As wells as the bit about Lily's mother who might have stayed with Boatrights for a short stay.

                This book is incredible and I felt so connected with the story and fell in love with the characters in it. I especially loved August who was the beekeeper in the family who was acting as the matriarch of the family. I loved her strong but gentle personality especially when she became like a mother to Lily in the book. There are other parts of the book that I love but anymore and I will ruin the entire story for those who have yet read the book for which I encourage you to read.