Growing up in Sylvan, South Carolina, Lily Owens has lived without her mother for as long as she can remember. The only life she had ever known is with her abusive father, T-Ray, who seemed to grow distant and irritable after her mother’s death when she was four. Living with the constant guilt and regret of causing herself and T-Ray sadness, Lily needed to find someplace away from T-Ray, a place where she could set out to find all the information about her mother that T-Ray refused to tell her.

As Lily pieced things together, she unveiled the truth and the lies about her mother’s death and her parents’ relationship. She came to realize that maybe, despite her mistakes, there still was a chance for that maternal love she never had but yearned for.

A story of forgiveness and acceptance of self, The Secret Life of Bees is a touching story of a girl striving for a love lost – coming to love those that have caused her grief, and the sole person keeping her from a complete life: herself.