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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Racial violence and the threat of harm in a Civil Rights context
Language
Barely any
Period-appropriate mild language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Brief romantic feelings; age-appropriate
Substance Use
Barely any
Minimal substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Grief over a dead parent, emotional abuse by a father, and the psychological weight of racial injustice
What this book is about
In 1964 South Carolina, fourteen-year-old Lily Owens flees her angry, loveless father and seeks refuge with three unconventional Black sisters—August, June, and May Boatwright—who keep bees and tend a shrine to the Black Madonna. As Lily uncovers painful truths about her mother, she discovers community, faith, and the transformative power of women's friendship. Set against the backdrop of Civil Rights turmoil, Kidd's bestseller is warm, emotionally rich, and deeply human.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Racial violence (Civil Rights era context)
Emotional abuse by a parent
Death of a parent
Reader Verification
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