<Tr> <Th> Genre </Th> <Td> Fiction </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Published </Th> <Td> November 8th 2001 </Td> </Tr> <P> The Secret Life of Bees is a book by author Sue Monk Kidd . Set in 1964, it is a coming - of - age story about loss and betrayal . It received critical acclaim and was a New York Times bestseller . It won the 2004 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards (Paperback), and was nominated for the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction . </P> <P> The book was later was adapted into a film directed by Gina Prince - Bythewood . </P>

When does the secret life of bees take place