CliffsNotes on

The Secret Life of Bees

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Book Summary

Sue Monk Kidd Biography

Summary and Analysis by Chapter

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapters 3–4
Chapter 5
Chapters 6–7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14

Character Analysis

Lily Melissa Owens
August Boatright
T. Ray (Terrence) Owens
Deborah Fontanel Owens
Rosaleen Daise
Zachary (Zach) Lincoln Taylor
May Boatright
June Boatright
Other Characters

Character Map

Critical Essays

Themes and Symbols of The Secret Life of Bees

Study and Homework Help

Full Glossary for The Secret Life of Bees
Quiz

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Study and Homework Help

Quiz

1:  How old was Lily when her mother died?

a. Four

b. Seven

c. Ten

d. Twelve
2:  According to Rosaleen, the bees swarming in Lily's bedroom are a sign of what?

a. Spring

b. Lily's mother's presence

c. Death

d. Good luck
3:  What does Rosaleen steal from the Ebenezer Baptist Church on her way to town to register to vote?

a. Two paper fans

b. A bible

c. Water

d. Tithed money
4:  What image on the honey jars' labels does Lily sees in the Frogmore Stew General Store and Restaurant?

a. A rising sun

b. A black Madonna

c. August Boatright's face

d. An opened bible
5:  Which of the Boatright sisters is most resistant to Lily when she first shows up at their house?

a. August

b. June

c. May

d. April
6:  What song does May sing and hum when she gets agitated?

a. "Silent Night"

b. "Away in a Manger"

c. "Yankee Doodle Dandy"

d. "Oh! Susanna"
7:  What is stuffed in the stone wall that May always goes to?

a. Wads of chewed gum

b. Dead honey bees

c. Torn-out pages from the bible

d. Folded-up bits of paper with writing on them
8:  How did April, May's twin, die?

a. Suicide

b. Murder

c. Heart attack

d. Pneumonia
9:  What does Neil do for a living?

a. He tends August's bees.

b. He's the principal at the school where June teaches.

c. He owns the town's general store.

d. He's a lawyer.
10:  Who is most resistant to June and Neil's marrying?

a. August

b. June

c. Neil

d. May
11:  What occupation does Zach eventually want to have?

a. Lawyer

b. Accountant

c. School principal

d. Doctor
12:  What gift does Zach first give to Lily?

a. A notebook in which to write

b. His high school class ring

c. His letterman jacket

d. A gold necklace
13:  What event happens that first lessens June's resistance to Lily?

a. They gather honey together.

b. Lily sings while June plays the cello.

c. They're involved in a water-sprinkler fight.

d. May commits suicide.
14:  What food does May use to get roaches out of the kitchen, just like Lily's mother used to?

a. Honey and sugar

b. Graham crackers and marshmallows

c. Rice

d. Jelly beans
15:  What event triggers May's leaving the house and then committing suicide?

a. Zach's arrest

b. Lily's yelling at May

c. Neil's yelling at June

d. President Kennedy's assassination



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