Chapter 1

  1. How old is the main character at the beginning of the book?
  2. Who is Rosaleen?
  3. Who is T-Ray?
  4. How old was Lily when her mother died?
  5. What does Lily say are in her room?
  6. What is the date of Lily’s mom’s death?
  7. What was Lily’s mom doing the day she died?
  8. How does Lily’s mom die?
  9. What does Lily’s father’s farm produce?
  10. How was Lily treated at school?
  11. What is Lily’s mother’s name?
  12. Why did Lily bury the tin box with the things that remind her of her mother?
  13. Why doesn’t T-Ray want Lily to read?
  14. Who inspired Lily to continue reading?
  15. When Lily didn’t read at work, what did she do?
  16. Who killed Lily’s mother?
  17. What happened on July 2nd, 1964?
  18. What does Lily want for her birthday?
  19. What is Lily’s punishment for being out in the orchard at night?
  20. Why is Rosaleen going to town on the 4th of July?
  21. What excuse does she give T-Ray?
  22. What got Rosaleen in the most trouble when she was at the store?

Chapter 2

  1. What is the name of the policeman who was driving Lily and Rosaleen to jail?
  2. What is his nickname?
  3. What did the dealer do to Rosaleen before she was taken into the jailhouse?
  4. What does T-Ray say about Lily’s mother the day she died?
  5. After the fight, what did Lily decide to do?
  6. Where does Lily want to go?
  7. What did Rosaleen take from the church?
  8. Where does the police officer say Rosaleen is when Lily goes to visit her in jail?
  9. Why is Rosaleen there?
  10. Does Lily believe him that is the reason she is there?
  11. What really happened to Rosaleen?
  12. How does Lily get rid of the police officer watching Rosaleen?
  13. What does the truck driver give to Rosaleen and Lily to eat?

Chapter 3

  1. What does Mother Nature look like to Lily?
  2. What is the name of the store that Lily sees?
  3. What does Lily steal from the store?
  4. What does Lily see on the honey jar?
  5. What is the name of the woman who makes the honey?

Chapter 4

  1. Name August’s two other sisters.
  2. What does Lily tell August when August thinks Rosaleen was beaten?
  3. Why did the Boatwright’s mother name them after months?
  4. What was the dead sister’s name?
  5. Who is Zach?
  6. Where is Lily going to sleep?
  7. Why is Zach not working?
  8. Why doesn’t Lily want Rosaleen to tell August anything about them?
  9. What does Lily see curving around the property?
  10. What is stuck in it?

Chapter 5

  1. What does May do while she is cleaning Rosaleen’s injuries?
  2. What does August say honey is?
  3. Why does May sing?
  4. What does May have to have every morning?
  5. What does June do for a living?
  6. What does Lily over hear June and August talking about one night?
  7. After they watched the news, what did all of them do?
  8. Why does August tell Lily the nun story?
  9. What does August compare the world to?
  10. Why does the queen need plenty of room?
  11. How does August explain what a swarm is?
  12. Why does May have problems?
  13. Why does May stick pieces of paper into the wall?

Chapter 6

  1. Name June’s boyfriend.
  2. What position does her boyfriend have at the school?
  3. What thing does Lily’s mom use to rid the house of roaches?
  4. Why is Our Lady of Chains named that?
  5. What is going to be launched from Cape Kennedy?

Chapter 7

  1. How long has Lily been in August’s house?
  2. What is Zach’s full name?
  3. What kind of grades did Zach get in school?
  4. Why did August keep a little pollen in the honey?
  5. What is Lily’s favorite subject in school?
  6. What does Zach want to do in the future?
  7. What did the cotton look like on the road?
  8. Whose law office did Zach and Lily visit?
  9. Why was he important to Zach?
  10. Why is the honey purple?
  11. Who is Willifred Marchant?
  12. How does Lily feel about Zach?
  13. List at least two reasons why Rosaleen is going to live in May’s room.
  14. What book did August get from the book mobile?
  15. What is the significance of her reading that book?
  16. What does Zach give Lily?

17. How does Lily respond to the gift?

  1. How does Zach respond to Lily’s response?

Chapter 8

  1. What things did August’s mother allow her to do during her birthday month?
  2. What is the name of the black Madonna that is used on the honey jars?
  3. Name two things Lily loves?
  4. Why is the black Madonna important to the Daughters of Mary?
  5. Who owned the house before August?
  6. Why does August’s grandmother say that women make the best beekeepers?
  7. Why is this so?
  8. What was August’s father’s profession?
  9. How long has August been keeping bees

10. What two jobs did August have before she moves to Tiburon?

11. How did August pick the color of the house?

12. When a bee bumps some ones forehead, what does August say they are trying to say?

13. How does August say to calm them down?

  1. What was the city-wide emergency?
  2. Who does Lily call in the lawyer’s office?

16. Why does Lily ask T-Ray what her favorite color is?

17.What does Mr. Clayton give Zach?

18. Name three things that Lily prays for.

Chapter 9

  1. Why do August and Lily have to water the bees?
  2. What do they water them with?
  3. How do Rosaleen and May cool down in the heat?
  4. What is the significance of the way May took care of the roaches in the house?
  5. What was Lily’s mom’s maiden name?
  6. Why does Zach not tell who threw the bottle?
  7. What happens to the three boys and Zach?
  8. Why won’t the boys be able to get out before Wednesday?
  9. Who is going to try to get Zach out of jail?
  10. Why isn’t May told about Zach’s incarceration?
  11. How does she find out?

Chapter 10

  1. How does May die?
  2. What police officer is sent to the Boatwright house?
  3. Why was Zach let out of jail?
  4. Why do they cover the hives after May’s death?
  5. Why was it important for the bees to stay put?
  6. Who was the first beekeeper?
  7. Why do the Daughters of Mary sit around May eating seeds?
  8. Why does Lily feel “like one of them”?
  9. What does Rosaleen make in honor of May?
  10. What three reasons does May give for committing suicide?
  11. What advice does August give June?

Chapter 11

  1. At first, how do August and June deal with May’s death?
  2. What does Lily do?
  3. What did Lily notice that was now inside Zach?
  4. Why is he like this?
  5. After dinner, what do they have for dessert?
  6. What special holiday is it?
  7. Why does Neil come to the house?
  8. What did the Daughters of Mary do with the honeycake?
  9. Why did they chain up the statue of Mary?
  10. What does Zach give Lily?

Chapter 12

  1. Where does Lily go to wait for August?
  2. What flower does Gabriel give to Mary?

3. Why might this be significant?

  1. What does the “T” in T. Ray stand for?
  2. When did August start working for the Fontanel family?
  3. How old was Deborah when August started?
  4. What kind of child was Deborah?
  5. What did Deborah call her imaginary friend?
  6. What was Lily’s grandmother’s name?
  7. Why did Deborah marry T. Ray?
  8. How long did Deborah stay with the Boatwrights?
  9. How does August find out about Deborah’s death?

Chapter 13

  1. What does Lily do inside the honey house?
  2. Why does she do this?
  3. How does Lily think Rosaleen is going to react to this?
  4. What is Rosaleen’s reaction to this?
  5. Why did Rosaleen not tell Lily the truth about her mother?
  6. What does August smear all over Our Lady of chains?
  7. Why does she do this?
  8. What is in the box that August gives Lily?

Chapter14

  1. What did Lily carry around in her pocket?
  2. When is June getting married?
  3. Where is Rosaleen going to register to vote?
  4. Who is Rosaleen going to vote for?
  5. Why des May teach Deborah to save roaches?
  6. Where does August say that Our Lady really rests?
  7. What is wrong with the beehive?
  8. How does T-Ray say he found Lily?
  9. When T-Ray hits Lily, who does he think she is?
  10. Why does T-Ray let Lily stay with August?