5 Stars 
 "Someone who thinks death is the scariest thing doesn't know a thing about life." 
 I listened to this on audiobook and it is, without a doubt, the best audiobook I have ever listened to. The Secret Life of Bees is about Lily - a 14-year-old white girl in South Carolina in the 1960s. Lily lives with her father and Rosaleen, who is employed to look after Lily, and run the household, since Lily's mother died when she was young. Following a series of events, Lily and Rosaleen end up living with a 'trio of black beekeeping sisters', where she finds herself more among family than she ever has been before. 
 The audiobook is narrated by Jenna Lamia and it really is spectacularly done. It took me a bit to get into at first but I think that has more to do with my mindset at the time. The way this is told, you don't feel like it's someone reading out a book to you, it just feels like Lily telling her story and, in that way, it is completely immersive. 
 This is just a beautiful book - the characters are wonderful, the writing is authentic and charming. I just really, really liked it. It does all the things and it does them so well. I recommend the audiobook but, if audiobooks aren't your thing, I recommend the physical book too. I can't imagine that's anything less than wonderful. 
 "Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can't remember who we are or why we're here."