Sue Monk Sue Monk KiddKidd

author of

The Secret Life of Bees

•Born and raised in the small town of Sylvester, in Southwest Georgia

•Lovingly refers to it as “an enduring somewhere”

•Influenced much of her writing in The Secret Life of Bees

•Loved her father’s imaginative stories

•Was considered a “born writer” by her English teachers

Her Background

Her influences—Her influences—Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau

•Kidd read Walden when she was 15

•Thoreau’s spiritual memoir influenced Kidd’s eventual writings

Her Influences – Kate Her Influences – Kate ChopinChopin

The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation.

The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace. — Kate Chopin, The Awakening (1899)

Texas Christian UniversityTexas Christian University

Graduated in 1970 Graduated in 1970 with a nursing with a nursing degreedegree

Worked throughout Worked throughout her twenties as a her twenties as a registered nurse in registered nurse in surgery and surgery and pediatricspediatrics

Also worked as a Also worked as a college nursing college nursing instructor instructor

South CarolinaSouth Carolina

Husband (Sandy) Husband (Sandy) taught theology at a taught theology at a small liberal arts small liberal arts collegecollege

Raised two children, Raised two children, Bob and AnnBob and Ann

Felt the “pull” to return Felt the “pull” to return to writingto writing

Enrolled in writing Enrolled in writing classes, and published classes, and published a personal essay in a personal essay in Guideposts Guideposts and and Readers DigestReaders Digest

Began freelance writing Began freelance writing to help support familyto help support family

•Monk and poet

•Influenced Kidd with his views of Western spirituality

Carl Jung

Thomas Merton

•Swiss psychiatrist

•Impacted Kidd’s writing with his views on psychology and philosophy

Her worksHer works

•Took 3 ½ years to write

•Published in 2002

•Spent over 2 years on New York Times bestseller list

•Sold more than 6 million copies

•New York Times bestseller for 9 months

•Sold 1.7 million copies since 2005

•Her early writings that give a glimpse into her spiritual beliefs and meditations

•200,000 copies in print

Secret Life of Bees

Symbols and Metaphors

Black

Madonna

Queen Bee

Worker Bees

Bee Keeping

Synopsis of Synopsis of The Secret Life The Secret Life of Beesof Bees

The novel is set in the American The novel is set in the American South in 1964 amid racial unrest.South in 1964 amid racial unrest.

It tells the coming-of-age story of Lily It tells the coming-of-age story of Lily Owens, a white 14-year-old girl who Owens, a white 14-year-old girl who is searching for the truth about her is searching for the truth about her mother.mother.

Lily lives on a peach farm with her Lily lives on a peach farm with her cruel father, T. Ray.cruel father, T. Ray.

Structure of the novelStructure of the novel

The novel intertwines historical The novel intertwines historical events with a study of honey bees.events with a study of honey bees.

Before each chapter, Monk Kidd Before each chapter, Monk Kidd includes a fact about bees’ life cycles includes a fact about bees’ life cycles or honey production. These are or honey production. These are called epigraphs.called epigraphs.