Answer:
The narrator, Lily Owens, is a 14-year-old girl who lives with her abusive father T. Ray, and her black housekeeper Rosaleen in South Carolina in 1964. Lily has a vague memory of her mother Deborah, who died when she was four years old. She believes she accidentally shot her mother with a gun that T. Ray left on the floor.
One night, Lily sees bees flying around her room and thinks they are a sign of death. She tries to catch them in a jar but they escape. She tells Rosaleen about the bees and Rosaleen says they are a sign of change.
The next day, Lily goes to town with Rosaleen to register her to vote. On their way, they encounter three racist men who insult and harass Rosaleen. Rosaleen stands up to them and pours snuff juice on their shoes. The men call the police and Rosaleen is arrested for assault.
Lily follows them to the police station and tries to free Rosaleen but T. Ray arrives and takes Lily home. He tells her that her mother left them when she was little and that she didn’t love her. He also hits Lily for lying about where they went.
Lily decides to run away from home with Rosaleen and find out more about her mother’s past. She takes some money, clothes, and a picture of her mother that has “Tiburon S.C.” written on the back.
She returns to the police station and finds out that Rosaleen has been beaten by one of the men she insulted. She helps Rosaleen escape from the hospital where she is being treated and they hitchhike to Tiburon, hoping to find clues about Deborah’s life there.