The Secret Life of Bees

The Secret Life of Bees. (2009). 20th Century Fox.
ASIN B001NLJ3NU
110 min
Format: DVD
Genre: Historical fiction
Classification: Fiction
Age level: Rated PG-13

Reader's annotation
Lily runs away from her abusive father and searches for clues about her mother, who she accidently shot to death when she was four years old. Set against the backdrop of the South in the 1960s, The Secret Life of Bees is a film about mothering and the support of strong female friendships.

Summary
Fourteen-year-old Lily is haunted by her mother’s death and is weary of living with her abusive, moody father. When her caregiver, Rosaleen, is injured in a racist attack they decide to run away together. Lily finds direction for their travel through one of the few objects she has left that belonged to her mother, a small painting of a Black Madonna. The painting has its creation location printed on the back, a small town in South Carolina. Lily sets off for clues to her mothers past and is lead to a family of African American sisters who are cultured, independent and live on a thriving beekeeping farm. Lily works for her board, falls in love, experiences more incidents of racism, and learns a thing or two about mothering. When her father tracks her down, can Lily find the courage to stand up for her new life?

Notes
Based on the book of the same title by Sue Monk Kidd, the movie features Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, and Sophie Okonedo.