25 Secret Life of Bees Quotes from the Famed Story

Enjoy these Secret Life of Bees quotes about the coming-of-age story set during the Civil Rights movement in the Deep South.

The Secret Life of Bees is a book written by author Sue Monk Kidd and published in 2001, and a movie based on the book was released in 2008.

The movie is directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and stars actors and actresses Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Paul Bettany, and more.

Upon release, the movie received mediocre reviews from critics but won multiple awards and grossed $40 million at the box office against a $11 million budget.

The plot of the story takes place in South Carolina in 1964 during the Civil Rights Movement.

The story follows young Lily Owens and her relationship with her abusive father and with Rosaleen, who is her father’s hired help.

Take a look at these Secret Life of Bees quotes to learn more about the book and movie.

The Favorite Secret Life of Bees Quotes From the Movie

Check out this collection of favorite quotes from the movie.

1. “I don’t know. Like… kissin’.” — Lily Owens

2. “How come you all got names from a calendar?” — Rosaleen Daise

3. “If your favorite color is blue, why did you paint the house pink?” — Lily Owens

4. “You think something being an impossibility makes you think about it even more?” — Lily Owens

5. “When I was 15, I made a 7UP cake for this boy. After that, he kissed me all the time.” — May Boatwright

6. “A worker bee weighs less than a flower petal, but she can fly with a load heavier than her.” — May Boatwright

7. “Our mama loved spring and summer. We had an April too, but she… she died when she was little.” — May Boatwright

8. “Miss August told me about you being here helping out. She didn’t mention anything about you being white.” — Zach Taylor

9. “Some things in life, like the color of a house, don’t really matter. But lifting someone’s heart, now that matters.” — August Boatwright

10. “When we went to the paint shop, she latched on to a color called “Caribbean Pink.” She said it made her feel like dancing a Spanish Flamenco.” — August Boatwright

The Favorite Secret Life of Bees Quotes From the Book

Check out this collection of favorite quotes from the book.

11. “Our mother said she was like Mary, with her heart on the outside of her chest.” — August Boatwright

12. “Someone who thinks death is the scariest thing doesn’t know a thing about life.” — Lily Owens

13. “Please, Lily, you are insulting your fine intelligence. Do you have any idea how smart you are?” — Mrs. Henry

14. “We can’t think of changing our skin,’ he said. ‘Change the world—that’s how we gotta think.‘” — Zachary Taylor

15. “That night, I lay in bed and thought about dying and going to be with my mother in paradise.” — Lily Owens

16. “This was a great revelation – not that I was white, but that it seemed like June might not want me here because of my skin color.” — Lily Owens

17. “Most people don’t have any idea about all the complicated life going on inside a hive. Bees have a secret life we don’t know anything about.” — August Boatwright

Impactful Secret Life of Bees Quotes

Check out some of the more impactful quotes from the story.

18. “I feel like I’ve been beaten with a stick.” — Rosaleen Daise

19. “My daddy never feels. He never felt anything.” — Lily Owens

20. “Sometimes not feeling is the only way you can survive.” — May Boatwright

21. “My whole life has been nothing but a hole where my mother should have been.” — Lily Owens

22. “You think something being an impossibility makes you think about it even more?” — Lily Owens

23. “I know you can’t understand. Apologizing to those men would have just been a different way of dying.” — Rosaleen Daise

24. “I killed my mother when I was four years old. She was all I ever wanted, and I took her away.” — Lily Owens

25. “I personally thought it was the tackiest color I had ever seen, but I figured if it could lift May’s heart, it was good enough to live in.” — August Boatwright

What Happens to Lily?

Lily accidentally shot and killed her mother when she was only four years old and then was forced to live with her abusive father.

She eventually runs away with Rosaleen, and they take shelter at the home of a group of Black sisters who are beekeepers.

Lily and Rosaleen become close to the sisters, but when tragedy occurs, it is too much for Lily to handle.

Finally, Lily learns the truth about her mother and can forgive herself and continue living with the group of sisters.

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