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The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk
Kidd. Penguin Books, 2002.
A fictional story set in the South during the days of racism, segregation, and Jim Crow days, this is also a story of the faith based for some African-Americans somewhat on Catholicism, and includes the Black Madonna and the Lady of the Chains. It is mainly the story of Lily whose father is a mean demanding person,
and a mother who met with a tragedy solved in the end of the book. Lily finally left the house of her cruel father, seeking some history about her mother.
Rosaleen, black nanny of Lily, accompanies her in her search. In their quest the two came upon a household of three African American ladies who gave them love, a home, and introduced them to the wonders of
bees.
When Lily's father found her in the home of a African American ladies and tried to get her to go home with him, she refused. After discovering some of the information about her mother's death, Lily fell into a state of anger and depression. A motherly bee keeper showed her the way to forgive her mother and herself, and come to live a healthy way of life.
(Thanks to Sr. Irene Hartman OP for this review.)
Paperback, Kindle and movie editions available.
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Saint of the Week
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Blessed. Joachima: (1783-1854) June 10
Born into an aristocratic family in Barcelona, Spain, Joachima was 12 when she expressed a desire to become a Carmelite nun. But her life took an altogether different turn at 16 with her marriage to a young lawyer, Theodore de Mas. Both deeply devout, they became secular Franciscans. During their 17 years of married life they raised eight
children.
The normalcy of their family life was interrupted when Napoleon invaded Spain. Joachima had to flee with the children; Theodore, remaining behind, died. Though Joachima reexperienced a desire to enter a religious community, she attended to her duties as a mother. At the same time, the young widow led a life of austerity and chose to wear the habit of the Third Order of
St. Francis as her ordinary dress. She spent much time in prayer and visiting the sick.
Four years later, with some of her children now married and younger ones under their care, Joachima confessed her desire to a priest to join a religious order. With his encouragement she established the Carmelite Sisters of Charity. In the midst of the fratricidal wars occurring at the time,
Joachima was briefly imprisoned and, later, exiled to France for several years.
Sickness ultimately compelled her to resign as superior of her order. Over the next four years she slowly succumbed to paralysis, which caused her to die by inches. At her death in 1854 at the age of 71, Joachima was known and admired for her high degree of prayer, deep trust in God and selfless
charity. americancatholic.org site
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