Little Bee -- Chris Cleave

[teacherlady11]

It is difficult to write a review without saying too much about a book that, in many ways, is about saying too much...feeling too much...being too much - and yet at the same time, not enough.

I picked up Little Bee because a friend had recommended Cleave's other best seller, Incendiary. The similarity of the covers of the books led me to pick up both, a happy coincidence I am ever so grateful for. You see, when I finish a book, I am sometimes uncertain of whether I love it...or loathe it. Usually that means the book sticks with me. I continue to turn it over in my head, trying to ascertains whether it is a 1 star or a 5 star - and staying power often leans me towards a 5 star. So it sits with Little Bee.

The story itself is unique, and unexpected. We are taken on a journey which truly doesn't last more than about a month, but feels like lifetimes. Two main voices control the story: Little Bee, a Nigerian refugee in Britain, and Sarah, an upper middle class white Brit who seems to 'have it all' with a precious son, beautiful home, and stellar career. Their lives become inextricably mingled in a confrontational beach scene which took place several years before the main story, but we relive approximately halfway through the narrative. I won't pull punches - the beach scene is painful, powerful, unexpected, and raw. It's done exactly right. It's a question you've been asking yourself since Little Bee first mentions the business card she carries as her only possession, and Cleave answers that question in a moment that could stand alone as a short story.

That's the downside to this book in my mind...In some ways it feels like Cleave wrote the beach scene, knew he had something good, and tried to create a story around it -- to tie up all of the uncertainty that makes a good short story stand out. The before and after that develops is more of a psychological expose, an examination of the concepts of grief, loneliness, isolation, and survival - with many more questions raised and few answers given.

The book ends with yet another painful beach scene...another moment where what should be and what is are separated by narrative license. I'm still digesting the ending -- my gut impulse was to be irritated and unfulfilled, but I'm not sure what would have been a better ending.

In my mind I rank books with the following questions:
Do I resent Cleave for wasting my time? No
Would I read it again? Probably not.
Will I buy a hard back copy for my lending library? yes
Would I recommend it for a discussion? Definitely yes
Would I teach it in class? No.