Little Bee: A Novel

By Chris Cleave

Millions of people have read, discussed, debated, cried, and cheered with Little Bee, a Nigerian refugee girl whose violent and courageous journey​ puts a stunning face on the worldwide refugee crisis​. “Little Bee will blow you away.” —The Washington Post The lives of a sixteen-year-old Nigerian orphan and a well-off British woman collide in this page-turning #1 New York Times bestseller, book club favorite, and “affecting story of human triumph” (The New York Times Book Review) from Chris Cleave, author of Gold and Everyone Brave Is Forgiven. We don’t want to tell you too much about this book. It is a truly special story and we don’t want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this: It is extremely funny, but the African beach scene is horrific. The story starts there, but the book doesn’t. And it’s what happens afterward that is most important. Once you have read it, you’ll want to tell everyone about it. When you do, please don’t tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds.

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Published Feb 16, 2010

271 pages

Average rating: 7.27

143 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Sue Dix
8/10 stars
There are many twists and turns in this book which kept me extremely interested right to the last page.
Khris Sellin
10/10 stars
Powerful story. I'd like to think I'd be like Sarah on that beach but when it comes down to it, I'd probably react more like Andrew, the thoughtless coward.
Shananigans
4/10 stars
I never fully got into this book. I only found myself enjoying the chapters from Little Bee's perspective and wished the rest of the book was from her POV too. I found the main characters (besides Little Bee) annoying and unrealistic, and in the end I didn't really care what happened to them. The premise of the story was interesting, but the plot line was disappointing. There were a lot of points in the story that had me question the believability (as well as why I should keep reading). I kept hoping it was going to improve, but the conclusion felt rushed and unmoving.
pumpkinfreckles
8/10 stars
I didn't know what to expect, but am loving the story. I'm listening to it and the reader Anne Flosnik is superb. The description of the horrors in Nigeria is gut wrenching and wonderfully written. So very good.
anne ducastel
8/10 stars
This book is not really a novel, it reads more like a very-well researched article, aimed to educate us on the issue of immigrants, who come to any rich country to escape cruelty, poverty or death, armed with nothing but hopes. This immigrant, Little Bee, meets a couple who represents all of us: one half wants to help desperately because it is the right thing to do, while the other wants to pretend the problem is not ours and should be left to the government. The couple implodes, Little Bee meets her fate. As I said, this is no novel, but a report of things as they are.

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