yam

There will be no spoilers in this review. Little Bee is that rare story that stirred me from its opening sentence. By the end of the first page, I was completely hooked. If I had to describe this book in just a few words, they would be: humanity, soulfulness, terror, and beauty. The story revolves around the enigmatic and sometimes horrifying connection between a 16 year-old Nigerian refugee named Little Bee, and Sarah and Andrew O'Rourke, a privileged British couple that are journalists in London suburbia. The O'Rourke's have a four-year-old son, Charly, who lives in his Batman costume and fights the "baddies." The non-linear narrative unfolds gracefully in alternating chapters between Sarah and Little Bee, moving back and forth in time and closing the gap between skin color and countries, privileged and poor, horror and humanity. The editorial reviewers don't want to spoil it by telling too much, and I agree--less is more. The magic and gravitas of the book is in the unfolding of the story; in the lean and eloquent prose; the fresh, profound extended metaphors; in the spaces between words; the immediacy and intimacy of the characters; and in the beauty and utter humanity of this gripping story. It reads swiftly, and the words just coat your tongue like honey.

2022-10-29 03:26