Learn More About the Best-Selling
Novel "The Secret Life of Bees"

Sue Monk Kidd's 2002 New York Times bestselling novel "The Secret Life of Bees" serves as the basis for Fox Searchlight's upcoming film THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, which opens in theatres October 17, 2008.

Below is a brief overview of the book's success, taken from Sue Monk Kidd's official Web site:

"'The Secret Life of Bees' has sold more than 4.5 million copies, spent over two years on the New York Times bestseller list and been published in more than 23 languages. It was awarded the 2004 Book Sense Paperback book of the Year, nominated for the Orange Prize in England and chosen as Good Morning America's Read This! Book Club pick. Taught widely now in college and high school classrooms, 'The Secret Life of Bees' is fast becoming a modern classic."

And here are excerpts from the novel's reviews, part of a collection of critics' praise that can again be found in its entirety on www.suemonkkidd.com. (You can also purchase the book via her site.)

"Wonderful debut novel... Poignant and compelling."
--Star-Ledger, Newark NJ

"Endearingly original... Riveting. One of the most inventive books I have read in long time, and utterly compelling. This book demands to be read and read again."
--The Oxford Times, England

"An absolute joy to read."
--Time Out New York

"Lovely writing and kind, vivid characters... Kidd dips a honeyed ladle into lessons of inequality, empowerment, and the healing nature of love and forgiveness. It's as if Kidd loaded up a take-home plate with treats, and you said, 'Oh, I couldn't,’ and then scarfed it down in the car on the way home."
--Entertainment Weekly

"Populated with rich, believable characters and propelled by a swiftly paced plot, this debut novel is a cut above most coming-of-age tales. You’ll be glad you went along for the ride. Bottom line: Buzz-worthy."
--People Magazine

"Inspiring. Sue Monk Kidd is a direct literary descendent of Carson McCullers."
--The Baltimore Sun

"Kidd has written a triumphant coming-of-age novel that speaks to the universal need for love."
--New Orleans Times-Picayune

"Charming, funny, moving. Sue Monk Kidd woos the reader with a story that whips together heat, violence, eccentricity, madness and the ingredients Faulkner made obligatory for Deep South literature, and threads them through with bee lore and the imagery associated with the Madonna. The healing properties of love and reconciliation power the emotional heart of this novel."
--The London Times

"A radiant first novel. Sue Monk Kidd says the world's a buzzing hive, and the only way to live in it is to help and be helped by others. “The Secret Life of Bees” is a winning tale."
--The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"A hive’s worth of appealing female characters, an off-beat plot and a lovely style... Deeply satisfying."
--Publishers Weekly

"The stunning metaphors and realistic characters... (of) this sweeping debut novel... are so poignant that they will bring tears to your eyes."
--Library Journal

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES Opens In Theatres
Across the Country October 17th