Little Bee

Author: Chris Cleave
Translator: ?
Editor: Samira
Publisher: GagasMedia
Published Date: 2011
Pages: 390

Most days I wish I was a British pound coin instead of an African girl.

Sarah Summers is enjoying a holiday with her husband on a Nigerian beach when a young girl named Little Bee crashes irrevocably into her life. It's a horrifying moment that no reader will ever forget.

After that terrifying scene Sarah and Little Bee might expect haven't to see each other again. But it turns out that Little Bee finds Sarah's husband wallet in the sand. Later on she smuggles herself on board a cargo vessel with his address in mind. She spent two years in a detention in England before making her way to Sarah's life.

The book becomes more interesting since chapter by chapter is alternated by Little Bee's voice and Sarah's. The author caringly portrays these two very different women trying to cope with events they'd never imagined.


This is a touching story. It brings important issues from refugee policy, politics, greedy oil company, violence, intimidation and all horrible things that will make you more grateful about your current life.

The author says its best: It's an uplifting, thrilling, universal human story and I just want to keep it simple. One brave African girl; one brave Western woman, what if one just turned up on the other's doorstep one misty morning and asked, Can you help? And what if that help wasn't just a one-way street?

Highly recommended. A must read.

2 comments:

alaya February 6, 2012 at 8:16 AM  

i read this one.
ada buku terusannya kan ya?

riana February 8, 2012 at 2:38 PM  

@alaya: really? never heard about the sequel. I've checked the www.chriscleave.com (the author's website), no info about the sequel either...