"The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd was first published in 2002. It is a coming-of-age story, set in 1964.

Sue Monk Kidd had started writing "The Secret Life of Bees" as a short story in 1993. After several years, she decided to convert this short story into a novel. It was a long process of three years, and consequently the novel "The Secret Life of Bees" was produced.

While writing the book, she used to put together a collage of photos which were related to the plot of the novel. She used those photos as a source or her inspiration. However, when she began to write, she was not sure how she would connect all of the photos.

Eventually, she included three African American Women, a pink house, and a wailing wall in the story.

Ready Reference Treatise: The Secret Life of Bees
Copyright
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Plot Overview
Chapter Three: Major Characters
Chapter Four: Complete Summary
Chapter Five: Critical Analysis