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A review by lady_grey_with_honey
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This is another book written by a white author about a white child being cared for by Black women in the 1960s American south. The child is struggling with issues of family and identity and is nurtured, mothered, and healed by her Black caregivers. After reading an interview with the author at the end of the book, I'm sure she had the best of intentions in writing all of these characters, but it felt really problematic to have the white child and her problems as the focus of this story, given the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement. Not to mention that the Black characters were somewhat based on the author's own childhood nanny. It all just felt a little gross.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Police brutality, Grief, and Death of parent