The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is a novel about Lily Owens running away from home to go to Tiburon to find more information about her mother. The novel takes place in Sylvan, South Carolina in 1964. The setting helps readers focus on Lily growing up in a time of racism and prejudice. The novel shows Lily Owens growing up in a time of racism and prejudice by her time in school with being friends with Zach, a black man, and with the racist white men making remarks towards Rosaleen on her way to get registered to vote. The story takes place in Sylvan, South Carolina. The year is 1964 and Lily is on the miserable peach farm with T. Ray. The author makes allusions to the real world in the book to point out problems in that time.