February read in honor of St. Modomnoc (check him out on our Home page quick links to important saints!), "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
A family of black women and their friends run an apiary, worship a black Madonna and offer refuge to an abused white girl and her nanny.

Sister Jean wonders if black women get sick of being portrayed as the refuge of helpless white women. But "Bees" is so beautifully paced and written that it’s hard not to be affected. Not a great book, but a restful and redeeming one.

Discuss:
1. Would you consider the women who run the apiary and their friends nuns? Why?
2. What are some of the many things honey represents in the book? (Catholic sisters will have an edge here; think chrism.)
3. Would you want to live at the apiary or just visit there? Why?