coming of age blogpost #1

   I am reading The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. This book is set in South Carolina in 1964 and it's about a girl named Lily Owens who runs away from home and her father with her "stand in mother" Rosaleen. This book is very interesting and shows a real coming of age journey that Lily embarks on. Lily's father T.Ray was the one who made Lily want to leave her home in the first place. Rosaleen is the one who goes on this journey with Lily  so she has a big impact on Lily as well. They go and stay with three sisters who own a beekeeping farm who also have a big impact on Lily and Rosaleen.

    I think this setting has a big impact on the story. The time period and events that are going on in the world outside Lily's journey affect the story as well. For example racism is still a big thing especially in the south. The fact that Lily is white and Rosaleen is black makes some extra obstacles more difficult along the journey. The fact that their journey takes place in South Carolina and not New York City also helps because there are less ways of them getting caught from running away.

   Lily Owens is a strong girl and she is also determined. Even though some things in her life are difficult and confusing like the fact that she accidentally killed her mother when she was four; she still moves on and deals with life everyday. Her fearlessness shows a big step in her life because she is growing up and learning to be her own person. This is a whole part in coming of age. Some conflicts that also come with coming of age are knowing your past and figuring out how that can help your future. Lily has trouble there because she's not sure on the day she killed her mother if her mother was leaving with Lily to get away from her father or if her mother was leaving them both. Lily is not sure of her past so this is a dilemma for her coming of age.

    I think Lily will figure out her mothers past in the rest of this story. She'll learn it from the three sisters she and Rosaleen are staying with or maybe from people in the town but either way she will. she will conquer that problem and that will allow her to grow up completely. Lily is ready to be an adult but she has somethings to work out before she can be one. i think in the rest of this book there will definatly be more conflicts but Lily will face them and she will come of age.