THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES (Sue Monk Kidd) - August 21/08

This amiable yet rambling novel tells the sweet story of a teenager who goes to live with a black family of beekeepers after running away from her abusive father. The mystery at the center of the book - what happened to Lily's mother - certainly proves to be its most effective aspect, as Kidd spends far too much time dwelling on the minutia of the beekeepers' day-to-day lives (with a particular and egregious emphasis on their various Mary-related rituals). **1/2 out of ****