As I read further into the novel, The secret Life of the Bees, I find much more interest in the story. In the first few chapters we get to know Lily, her Father, Rosaleen, and how Lily's mother died. We found that Lily's father was abusive and eventually Lily runs away, sneaking Rosaleen out of the hospital beforehand.
Lily and Rosaleen run away from home to Tiburon, South Carolina. Lily chooses to go here because one of her mother’s belongings, the picture of the Black Mary, had this city and state written on it. Once they get to South Carolina, they stop at a store and see the same picture of the black Mary on the jars of Black Madonna Honey. She asks the man at the counter about it and he tells her there is a bee keeper that makes the honey, and she is black, the "Black Mary." Lily and Rosaleen find the bee keepers pink house, August Boatwright. When she knocks on the door a black lady answers the door and it is one of Augusts three sisters. There is May who has mental problems as a result of the death of her sister April. June is prejudice against white people, and August, the Black Mary, who is the bee keeper. When August asks who they are and why they've decided to come to them, Lily lies about all of it. She tells August that her father died because of a tractor accident and her mother died when Lily was young. She said she was going to Richmond to see her Aunt Bernie. This was all a lie. The Boatwright’s agree to let them stay in return for working for them. Lily helps August with bee keeping and Rosaleen helps around the house.
Lily overhears August and the sisters talking and finds out that they know her story weren’t true. August feels that Lily will come clean when she is ready and thinks it isn't necessary to confront her. Instead, she tells her a story about a nun who ran away as well. The nun wanted to go back to the convent but was sure that they wouldn't allow her to. She asks for Mary's help but doesn’t believe it will do any good. One day, the nun decides to go back to see it for one last time, but in a disguise. When she visits she sees women pretending to be her and finds that it was Mary. She was able to return with the help of Mary. The moral of the story is that sooner or later, after running away from home, you will want to go back but you will feel like you won't be allowed, but if you ask Mary for help she may fill in as you as if you were never gone.
This reminds me a lot of myself when i was younger. When my mom or dad and I would get in fights i would run away, but i wouldn't make it that far. I would go sit outside by the garage in the back or at a park nearby and return home within maybe a half hour. I was never successful but i had no reason to be compared to Lily. Her father is abusive and i think it is best for her to be away from that. Being on her own though is tough; she will have to find ways to survive.
My remaining question, though, is how are the Black Mary picture and Lily's mother connected?
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