The Secret Life of Bees Chapter 6 Summary

  • Neil, the man who was courting June, came to the house to visit. June was refusing to marry Neil, even though he kept asking.
  • His visit prompted May to tell Lily and Rosaleen about how June got left at the altar, which is why she wouldn't marry Neil. May got upset while telling the story.
  • Neil was then formally introduced to Lily and Rosaleen.
  • Lily then recounts her first Sunday with the pink house crowd. It turns out that, rather than going elsewhere, the sisters held a service at the house for a group of women (and one man) called the Daughters of Mary.
  • Since Lily and Rosaleen are newbies to the Daughters of Mary rituals, August re-told the foundational story of their worship practices, which revolve around a figure known as Our Lady of Chains (who was the inspiration for the image used for Black Madonna honey).
  • Lily fainted before she was able to complete the ceremony of touching the Madonna's heart, feeling like she didn't belong there.
  • Later, Lily remembers seeing the news and hearing about plans to send a rocket to the moon.