The Secret Life of Bees / Sue Monk Kidd / 301 pages

Excellent read for the month of August as Our Lady's Day (August 15) features prominently in the story.  Young Lily accompanies Rosaline (sp?) to town so that Rosaline can register to vote.  When Rosaline spits tobacco juice on the shoes of several racist town good ol' boys, however, she is arrested, beaten, and hospitalized.  Lily helps her escape and they decide to run away to Tiberon, South Carolina.  Lily had a picture of Mary depicted as a black madonna which belonged to her now dead mother.  Lily holds herself responsible for her mother's death and longs to go to Tiberon which is printed on the back of the picture.  Lily finds true friendship, faith, and the meaning of life, and learns to forgive T-Ray while staying at the Honey House of the Calendar sisters.  This book features Civil Rights era events ans social awareness as well as heartfelt devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus.