Review: Little Bee by Chris Cleave

Most days I wish I was a British pound coin instead of an African girl. Everyone would be pleased to see me coming. [opening of Little Bee]

Little Bee by Chris Cleave
Simon & Schuster, 2008
Fiction; 271 pgs

The inside flap of the book does not offer much in the way of description about what to expect in this novel. The publisher wants it to be a surprise. If you are a regular blog reader, you have likely come across a number of reviews of this book that reveal a bit of the plot. I'd forgotten most of those when I picked up Little Bee to read, and so it was as if I was stepping into the book completely blind. I did, however, remember the mixed reviews. Several bloggers loved the book while others were less than impressed.

I do not think it is revealing too much to say Little Bee is the story of a Nigerian immigrant in England. After spending two years in a detention center, she makes her way to the home of the only people she knows in the country, a couple she met briefly on a beach in Nigeria. The story that unfolds is one of tragedy, about war and grief, shame, regret and courage. It also takes a hard look at immigration policy and the treatment of those seeking asylum. Wrapped in politics, Little Bee is more so a story about the people, about their struggles and life choices and how those choices can have a lasting and reverberating impact on their lives. Told from the perspective of both Little Bee, the sixteen-year old Nigerian girl, and Sarah, the editor/journalist, the story is revealed one layer at a time, traveling between past and present. It is in this way that the author proves he is a master of suspense. I never knew quite what to expect.

I read this book for an online book group discussion. Much was said about the various characters. Everyone loved four year old, Charlie, or Batman as he preferred to be called. He fought invisible bad guys valiantly. His story mirrored that of his parents and Little Bee's in a way, as they themselves had their own demons to fight. Only, his story was one of innocence and hope while his parents and Little Bee's was steeped in betrayal.

Sarah wasn't a very popular character, at times seeming selfish. I actually liked her even if I didn't always agree with her choices in life. She offered a valuable perspective to the story. She is a strong woman and yet vulnerable. Sarah is naive at times and seems to want to do what she feels is right. Like her husband, Andrew, and Little Bee, she is haunted by the past. She tries to put it behind her, only it's never quite out of sight.

Andrew is a character who can easily be criticized for the part he plays in the novel, but I think to do so is short sighted. He is perhaps one of the more outwardly tormented characters of the novel, wishing he had done more, blaming himself for being weak. There is so much I wish I could say here about his character, only I've probably already said more than I should. I will go so far as to say that I think the question of what we might have done on that beach that day if we'd been in Andrew and Sarah's place is not one as easily answered as we might like to think.

My least favorite character in the novel is Lawrence who only seemed out for himself. While I can understand his reservations to wanting to help Little Bee to some small degree, his reasoning paints him as a purely selfish man. There was nothing I liked about Lawrence, nothing I found redeeming in his character.

Of all the characters, it was Little Bee's story that stood out the most, her voice that was most unique and revealing. Little Bee spent her two years imprisoned, mastering the English language and learning about the society she so much wanted to be a part of. Through her eyes, we see the cultural differences that existed between the life she led in Nigeria and the one she is living in the United Kingdom. Despite her efforts to fit in, Little Bee is still seen as an outsider, an interloper, if you will. It was her story that touched me the most. She is intelligent and resourceful. Like the other characters, she is flawed, having made decisions she now regrets.

Little Bee is a powerful novel that tackles very serious issues. It is at times funny while at others it is painful. Chris Cleave does a good job of balancing the light and the serious. For days after finishing the novel, I found myself mulling over the novel's themes, thinking about the characters and wondering what ever became of them.

Ratings: (Very Good)

For more information about the author and his books, visit his website.

Source: Pulled book off my TBR shelf. Purchased myself.

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© 2010, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.