AUDIOBOOK

 

The Audiobook I chose was "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd. This book has different versions; a physical book, an audiobook, and a movie. This novel is about the story of a 14-year-old white girl named Lily Owens. It is set in South Carolina in 1964, the book follows Lily as she runs away from her abusive father and finds a new home with a black beekeeping family. Lily is haunted by the memory of her mother's death and seeks to uncover the truth about her past and her identity. One of the main themes that are in this book is Racism as Lily is surrounded by people of a different skin color and she battles with prejudice and stereotypes. Another big theme in this novel is Female Power as Lily looks for motherly love that she never got and admires the strong woman that surrounds her. Because this book has different versions to access it (audiobook, physical book, and movie) we can use them all in a classroom to learn about the differences and similarities of each. We could use an audiobook to read individually, a physical book to read as a class, and a movie to visualize at the end of the unit. This book can be used to discuss more the themes in the story such as Racism, Identity, and Female Power. The book can also be used to teach students about the historical context of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States since it is set in South Carolina in the immediate aftermath of the Civil Rights movement.