Preview
  • The Secret Life of Bees

  • By: Sue Monk Kidd
  • Narrated by: Jenna Lamia
  • Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (7,980 ratings)

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The Secret Life of Bees

By: Sue Monk Kidd
Narrated by: Jenna Lamia
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Publisher's summary

Sue Monk Kidd's ravishing debut novel has stolen the hearts of reviewers and readers alike with its strong, assured voice. Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed.

When Lily's fierce-hearted "stand-in mother", Rosaleen, insults three of the town's fiercest racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina - a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. There, they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household.

This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love - a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.

©2003 Sue Monk Kidd (P)2008 Penguin

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What listeners say about The Secret Life of Bees

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    6,047
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    1,377
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Must Read!

Perfectly told! The author makes me want to read every book they ever wrote! You won't be disappointed.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Mesmerizing listen

Can’t say enough about how engaged one becomes in this story, that really is not much more than a ‘movie of the week’ caliber plot, and yet...Jenna Lamia’s performance adds layer upon layer of texture, drawing the listener into a ‘don’t want it to end’ listening journey. Very. Well. Done.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Life Changing

Sue Monk Kidd has a gift of painting vivid pictures of experience and with accurate comparisons of human and bee social
behavior. She captures the complexity of life by smoothly transitioning through the multiple story lines of a young, motherless, abused white girl that is coming of age at the height of the civil rights movement.
I could not stop listening to the book, switching the Bluetooth from my home, to the garage, and into my car. Now that it is over, I am wrestling with the notion to start back at the beginning so I can mark all the places where I was brought to tears by relating and feeling understood by the characters. It is a masterpiece. I am so grateful to own this piece of art.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable

Loved it. Beautiful story. Uplifting spirit in the main character Lily. At times I had to remember she was a young girl.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

lovely story

Well-written, heart-warming and sometimes very funny. Excellent performances. The story will draw you in. highly recommended.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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amazing! Must Read!

the narrator is incredible, & the story pulls at all of those hidden places and beautifully brings them to light in a way that totally changes your outlook.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful narration!

The book is 5stars anyway, but the performance by this reader is one of the best that I’ve heard on Audible. Absolutely a favorite!

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Beautiful story

This is one of my new favorite books and a must read for people of all ages.

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Excellent

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Tears came occasionally as there were so many touching moments of kindness and love. The narrator has the voice of an angel. I think she was almost my favorite part. Jenna Lamia is outstanding as a narrator. She has to be my favorite ever.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Beautiful story, beautifully performed

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I absolutely would. Jenna Lamia is one of the best!

What about Jenna Lamia’s performance did you like?

She is so emotionally present with the material -- she really draws me in as a listener. I felt like I was completely inside the main character's head.

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