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 her African-American nanny Rosaleen insults three of the town's most vicious racists while trying to vote, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina—a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Leaving her sadistic father behind, Lily is taken in by an eccentric trio of African-American beekeeping sisters who introduce her to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. Sue Monk Kidd explores Lily's search for the truth about her mother; her courage to tear down racial barriers; and her joy as she claims her place within a community of women. As she enters their mesmerizing secret world of bees and honey, she discovers a place where she can find the single thing her heart longs for most.