The book was adapted into a film in 2008, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and produced by Will Smith, with Jada Pinkett Smith as the executive producer. Queen Latifah played August Boatwright, Dakota Fanning played Lily, Alicia Keys played June Boatwright, Jennifer Hudson played Rosaleen, and Sophie Okonedo played May Boatwright. T. Ray Owens: The abusive father of Lily and the widower of Deborah Fontanel Owens. He is the main antagonist of this novel. There are a couple big symbols and motifs in The Secret Life of Bees. One major symbol is the bees and bee-related objects. Bees are a main symbol and motif in the novel. Bees are a symbol of two main things: Guidance and the power of a female community. This is seen in the theme. A major theme is that Lily is looking for a connection to her mother or some mother figure. In the story, there are many strong women she meets. She not only grows up with Rosaleen, who is a surrogate mother to Lily, but she also meets the Boatwright sisters and the Daughters of Mary who enhance this symbol of power in a female community in relation to bees.

Clement, Olivia. "New Musical Adaptation of 'The Secret Life of Bees' Begins Off-Broadway May 12" Playbill, May 12, 2019 June Boatwright: The sister of May Boatwright and August Boatwright. She is a school teacher and musician. June is more serious and stubborn than August and May. May Boatwright: The sister of August and June Boatwright. She had a twin sister, April, who committed suicide when she was 15, and as a result of April's death she is emotionally sensitive. The attention is the historical detail is outstanding and must be given the praise that it is due. J. Lawrence Matthews has immersed his readers into a highly volatile world, where strong emotions and unprecedented strife and war have been portrayed with a keen understanding of the era. This is a novel that is so impeccably researched that I found no fault, no glaring inaccuracy. There are no corners cut. No second guessing. Everything from the depiction of the historical characters and events to the more mundane everyday life of this period has been depicted with a seemingly flawless crystalline understanding. Everything has been thoroughly researched, which means this novel screams authenticity. To read such a well-researched novel was a treat that I thoroughly appreciated. The fact that Holmes slips easily into this period of history and the events that occurred, is very telling of the author's skill. The Daughters of Mary: Cressie, Queenie and her daughter Violet, Lunelle, Mabelee, and Sugar-Girl who attends with her husband, Otis, the one man of the group. They are followers of Our Lady of Chains.August Boatwright: The eldest of the Boatwright sisters, a beekeeper, and a well-respected businesswoman in the community. August was Deborah's best friend. Staff. "New Musical Adaptation of 'The Secret Life of Bees' Opens Off-Broadway June 13" Playbill, June 13, 2019 Examine the data, Watson! I could hear him say, urging upon me the kind of logical reflection which my haste typically did not allow. There are too many unanswered questions, don’t you think? Author Sue Monk Kidd, Author of the Secret Life of Bees and the Mermaid Chair". Archived from the original on 2013-09-17 . Retrieved 2014-01-08.

Lily Melissa Owens: The 14-year-old narrator of the story. Lily is the daughter and only child of Deborah and T. Ray Owens. Lily loves to read and write. Mazmanian, Adam (2002-03-31). "Books in Brief: Fiction & Poetry". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-03-12. A thriller set in a bee-hive, based on real honeybee biology. Class, caste, and mother love, in a society forty thousand years old. Translated into 16 languages to date. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ Neil: The principal at the school where June teaches. He has proposed multiple times to June. He eventually becomes June's fiance.The historical figures loom large in this tale, and are portrayed in a realistic manner, but the thing that I find most impressive (and something I look for in every historical fiction book I read) is that the fictional characters are crafted in such a way as to make them appear to be historical as well…and that, my fellow readers, is the mark of excellent storytelling where the line between history and fiction has vanished into the realm of believability.”

Deborah Fontanel Owens: The deceased mother of Lily Owens and wife of T. Ray Owens. Deborah died in a gun accident when Lily was 4. Deborah is buried in Virginia.