Just finished this book. Wow. What a great read. The premise is this: Little Bee, a 16-year-old Nigerian orphan, is being released from a detention facility in the English countryside for refugees. Half of the story is told through Little Bee's eyes and the other half through the eyes of Sarah, a journalist who met Little Bee on a beach in Africa two years ago while on vacation with her husband. Their meeting in Africa ends horribly, but their fates remain entwined.
Little Bee's voice is unique and her attempts to explain to the reader how the girls back home in her village would never understand the complexities of a globalized society are touching and bittersweet. Refreshingly, Cleave does not make Little Bee a saint nor does he make Sarah or her journalist husband, Andrew, typical self-righteous do-gooders. The storytelling is suspenseful, and the more I read, the more I began to feel an overwhelming sense of dread. Like, how could this ever end happy when reality isn't happy? How did you interpret the ending? Do you think Little Bee lived? Did Sarah write her book? Did Charlie ever put his Batman suit back on?
This book made me feel insignificant, like this behavior (corrupt governments/evil corps seeking natural resources at any cost) cannot be stopped. Like I know it happens, but since I am little-ole-me, what can i really do to make a difference? Write a letter to my congressman? Hardly. It's easier to ignore things that happen half a world away.
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