14-letna Lily leta 1964 odrašča v majhnem mestu na ameriškem jugu. Živi s problematičnim očetom, njena najboljša prijateljica pa je njuna temnopolta gospodinjska pomočnica Rosaleen. Lily vsak dan preganjajo spomini na mamo, ki naj bi jo ustrelila. Ko življenje postane nevzdržno, se Lily in Rosaleen odpravita od doma. Iskat gresta kraj, kjer je bila posneta edina fotografija Lilyjine mame. Tako ju pot pripelje na dom treh sester, ki vodijo uspešno čebeljo farmo in same pridelujejo med. Lily tu nepričakovano najde novo družino.
Set in South Carolina in 1964, this is the tale of Lily Owens, a 14 year-old girl who is haunted by the memory of her late mother. To escape her lonely life and troubled relationship with her father T-Ray, Lily flees with Rosaleen, her caregiver and friend, to a South Carolina town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by the intelligent and independent Boatwright sisters, Lily finds solace in their mesmerizing world of beekeeping.