Sue Monk Kidd

“A radiant first novel.”
—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Maybe it’s true that there are no perfect books, but I closed this one believing that I had found perfection.”
—Book Magazine

“A truly original Southern voice.”
—Anita Shreve

“Populated with rich, believable characters and propelled by a swiftly paced plot, this debut novel is a cut above most coming-of-age tales. You’ll be glad you went along for the ride.”
—People Magazine

“Charming, funny, moving.”
—The London Times

“The core of this story is Lily’s search for a mother, and she finds one in a place she never expected. She finds her Madonna in a woman named August Boatwright, the proprietor of a honey farm that’s a harbor of quiet civility. August and her sisters, June and May, are no mere vehicles for Lily’s salvation; they are individuals as fully imagined as the sweltering, kudzu-carpeted landscape that surrounds them.”
—New York Times Book Review

“You’ll want to tear through the pages. Restrain yourself. The beautiful language and seamless unfolding of this well-written story deserve more. (It) merits sweet time and savoring.”
—Southern Living

“A triumphant coming-of-age novel that speaks to the universal need for love.”
—New Orleans Times-Picayune

“I am amazed that this moving, original, and accomplished book is a first novel. It is wonderfully written, powerful, poignant, and humorous.”
—Joanna Trollope

“A hive’s worth of appealing female characters, an off-beat plot and a lovely style… Deeply satisfying.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A moving first novel… Lily is an authentic and winning character and her story is compellingly told.”
—USA Today

“An absolute joy to read.”
—Time Out New York

Sue Monk Kidd has written a wonderful novel about mothers and daughters and the transcendent power of love, all the while masterfully illuminating the feminine face of God.”
—Connie May Fowler

“Incredibly original and imaginative.”
—Glasgow Evening Times

“Lovely writing and kind, vivid characters….Kidd dips a honeyed ladle into lessons of inequality, empowerment, and the healing nature of love and forgiveness.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“Riveting. One of the most inventive books I have read in long time, and utterly compelling. This book demands to be read and read again.”
—The Oxford Times

“A charmer… Richly descriptive and enthralling.”
—The Globe and Mail

“Sue Monk Kidd is an extraordinary storyteller… Beautifully written.”
—Ursula Hegi

“A warm debut. An uplifting story.”
—Booklist

“What a splendid novel! It’s wonderfully thoughtful and sensitive and compulsively readable.”
—Susan Isaacs

“Superb.”
—Woman and Home, England

“A rich, lovely novel, brimming with energy and humor and hope.  Its women will surely prominent places among the heroines of Southern fiction.”
—Josephine Humphreys