It is the American South in 1964 and the civil rights movement is in full swing, fighting to put an end to the inequality and prejudice that have defined the country’s race relations for centuries. But for Lily Owens, the spunky white teenage heroine of Kidd’s bittersweet, sentimental coming-of-age saga, it is not the shade of a person’s skin that matters, but the size of their heart. Motherless and on the run from her cruel, demanding father, Lily is taken in by a trio of black sisters whose beekeeping ways and earthy female-centric brand of Christianity teach her that maternal love comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors, even for one as alone in the world as she is. From within her newfound “hive,” Lily embarks on a journey of self-discovery that forces her to confront the truth of her own past, exposes her to both romance and tragedy, and brings her face to face with the struggle for racial equality that is rocking the nation.
Book Review by Anna Ziajka
