The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

Sometimes I think the worst thing that can happen to a new author is to have their first book hit the bestseller list. After all, how do you create a follow up to a book that people are calling a masterpiece. Going into it, you know people are going to compare the two.
Jessie, is older than Lily but just as lost and shaped by the secrets of her past. The Mermaid Chair in the title is the pride and joy of the monastery and one of the favorite places of Jesse's childhood. This novel is a discovery of woman's individualism, a reflection on her life. Many of the themes from The Secret Life of Bees are continued in this book but on an older more mature level.