Characters
This is the main character who runs away from home.
Lily Owens
The state where the story takes place.
South Carolina
This insect appears throughout the story and represents community and guidance.
Bees
Lily lies and says her father is this.
She is a strong Black woman who teaches Lily about bees and love.
August Boatwright
Lily runs away after this major event with Rosaleen.
Rosaleen getting arrested for standing up to white men
This object represents hope, comfort, and the feminine divine.
Black Madonna (Our Lady in Chains)
The woman who taught August and the others how to keep bees.
her grandmother
Lily’s abusive and cold father.
T. Ray (Terrence Ray)
The Boatwright sisters live in this color house.
Pink
This physical place built by May symbolizes a place to release grief.
the wailing wall
This is how May dies.
Drowning in the river
The woman who takes Lily to town to register to vote.
Rosaleen
This holiday is celebrated in the Boatwright household with a religious ceremony.
Mary Day
This object from T. Ray's house is a painful reminder of Lily's past.
the jar of grits or her mother's gloves
He wants to be a lawyer; friends with Lily
Zach Taylor
This Boatwright sister is very emotional and uses a wall to cope with sadness.
May Boatwright
This is the real reason Lily’s mother left when Lily was a baby.
she left to get away from T. Ray but planned to come back for Lily
Lily carries this picture of her mother.
Black Madonna picture with “Tiburon, S.C.” written on the back
Deborah Owens