The Drumbeat

by Shriya Patel

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd was quite an interesting and powerful novel. It portrayed the story of Lily Owens as a young white girl who was trying to understand her past and heal from the pain of losing her mother when she was just a child. This novel was during the 1960s in the South and showed various themes: family, forgiveness, and race. As Lily went through the journey of discovering her mother’s passing, her father, T. Ray, was dysfunctional and abusive. As the novel went on, I felt such sympathy and sadness for Lily because she was at a very young age and had to deal with these traumatic events that went on throughout her childhood. Overall, her journey and moments where she felt unsure of many things, felt very real to me which is why this book gave me attachment. 

One character that stood out to me was August Boatwright, who was one of the three Boatwright sisters that Lily had met during her journey. She was the main character who showed Lily what forgiving and love was. And, whenever things went wrong, August was very calm about it. As I kept reading, I found myself wishing I could meet someone like her, since she was so patient. For example, when Lily first came to their home, she felt so lost and asked for help. August was immediately welcoming and gave her a job to work as a beekeeper. Lastly, a lesson that also stood out to me that August had taught Lily was that true healing comes from within. 

One of the themes that made me think was forgiveness. Lily had carried a lot of guilt, especially regarding her mother’s death and how her father treated her. She felt that she was the most responsible for her mother’s death because of a memory she had when she accidentally shot her. Throughout her journey, she learned to stop being so hard on herself and to forgive. Knowing this, made me realize how important it is to show myself the same. 

Mainly, race was a huge theme in this novel. Rosaleen, a black woman who cared for Lily, faced a lot of racism, but she always stuck her ground and protected herself. When she got arrested, she stood up for her rights, and she showed strength. Also, when a group of white guys attacked her in town, she didn’t stay silent, but rather she fought them back, even though it put her in the worst position. So, even when it’s hard, it made me think of the importance of standing up for yourself. Her struggles also had tension because during that time, racism was big and it shows how far we have come, but also how much further we have to go. By the end of this novel, I was shocked at the fact that Lily had created such best relationships with the Boatwrights and how they all collectively took care of each other. Since Lily started as this young girl who ran away from her abusive father’s home in search of information on her mother’s death, she learned to embrace forgiveness and understanding and even grew. This novel was truly a real and emotional journey, and I loved reading about Lily turning into someone who moved on from her past and forward with peace. 

After finishing this novel, initially, I was shocked at how great it was written– and I was hooked and never wanted to put the book down. I would highly recommend this book if you enjoy themes of race, forgiveness, and family.