The Very Beginning...

The story begins by introducing the main character, 14 year old Lily Owens. She lives in South Carolina set in 1964. She seems to be smarter than she is given credit for by her father, T. Ray, who is a very unintelligent, stubborn, and generally an ignorant person. Lily and T. Ray do not show affection for each other, which contributes greatly to their uncomfortable relationship. The thought that Lily calls her father T. Ray instead of dad leads me to think they don't have a normal relationship. Part of the reasoning lies with the death of Lily's mother Deborah when she was only 4 years old. Although Lily vaguely recalls the events, she is constantly haunted by it, and is close to positive that it was her fault. After Deborah died, a colored woman named Rosaleen begins to live part time with Lily and T. Ray, acting as a mother and housekeeper. A relationship between Rosaleen and Lily blossoms, while T. Ray keeps to his old fashioned behavior. From the first chapter, I get a sense that Lily is intelligent, free-spirited, and more of a liberal person. The reason I feel this way is because she lays in her bed while honey bees climb into her room and buzz all around her, yet she is not scared but curious and jealous of their beauty and nature. T. Ray, Lily's father, is very old fashioned. He treats her like a small child, very unaware of what she truly wants and needs. He doesn't make the effort to understand her or build an appropriate and comforting father-daughter relationship. I believe this is partly due to the death of her mother, the presence of Rosaleen, and the time period they are living in. I look forward to reading more, and getting a more in depth look at their situation. I think there will be more turbulence between Lily and her father.