The Secret Life of Bees, a novel by Sue Monk Kidd, a movie released in 2008 and directed by Gina Prince - Bythewood, was set to relive America at a time of great cultural tension and when the negro’s begin demanding freedom. The main character is a 14 - year old by the name of Lily, and she runs away from home to three black sisters who help her unravel the truth behind her mysterious past. The story, set in 1964, highlights the life of Lily Owens, who runs away from home with her housemaid and good friend Rosaleen, from a father who always bullies her and no mother, to a house lived in by 3 negro sisters who actively produced honey. She tells them her story, and the oldest sister, August, accepts her but her sister, June is suspicious. Lily befriends a local negro named Zach, but when he gets arrested due to not ratting his friend out, May, August’s sister, commits suicide. May, an already emotionally unstable person, was unable to handle it. The sisters, Rosaleen and Lily undergo mourning and just before the end, Lily’s dad finds out where Lily is and tries to get her to return with him. Lily refuses, and her dad walks off but not before he tells her that she had really killed her mother. …show more content…
All the characters match the descriptions in the book, be it personality or appearance. Lily’s mother, in Lily’s flashback, looks very similar to Lily. When Lily gets to August’s house, the statue of Black Mary is shown in the movie, and this is because it is mentioned and is constantly referred back to in the story. The Black Mary is also shown on the honey labels that Lily sees in the shop selling honey. Towards the end of the book, May’s death is accurate and is shown as was described in the book, with May’s body floating on the river with a rock keeping her from getting washed