Little Bee

The promises on the back of the book were intriguing!   The cover claimed a special story and a magical unfolding.  While Little Bee was a special story, I didn't necessarily view it as particularly outstanding or surprising.  Perhaps I've read a few too many Holocaust stories where personal sacrifice is more often than not, the theme.

Chris Cleave's Little Bee tells the story of a Nigerian refugee and her journey to Britain to thank them for saving her life.  But, that is not Little Bee's only reason for her journey.  There is more, and I believe that is where editors believe the shock and surprise enters the story.  Honestly, I was neither shocked or surprised.  Perhaps, I am jaded.  Or, maybe I just feel that people's motives are more bad than good.  I am not sure, but I just wasn't as moved by this story as I think reviewers feel I should be.

Don't get me wrong, Cleave writes an entertaining story.  The characters were very well written and multifaceted.  I was totally enamored by Charlie, better known as Batman.  Charlie's dialogue often reminded me of my three year old's manner of speaking.   The presentation of the novel provided a few challenges for me.  It often took be the better part of page to determine who the current narrator was.  Once I determined who was narrating, I had to go back and reread what I already read, to digest the context.


I would definitely recommend Little Bee, but I wouldn't tout it as a story with a surprising and shocking ending.