This year's selection

Little Bee by Chris Cleave 

 
Synopsis from Seattle Public Library:
Little Bee tells a story of two intertwined lives and the hidden world of refugees. Little Bee, a young Nigerian, is released from a British immigration detention center where she has been held under horrific conditions for two years. She seeks out the only English person she knows: Sarah, a posh young mother and magazine editor. Eventually, what happened on a beach in Nigeria, when the two first met, is revealed. Their brief encounter, a traumatic event, has haunted each woman ever since. Narrated alternately by Little Bee and Sarah, the novel also features Sarah's young son, Charlie, who refuses to take off his Batman costume and whose "goodies/baddies" worldview leavens an otherwise dark story. Little Bee explores identity, morality, and compassion; refugees and asylum; friendship, marriage, and parenting. 
 

Relevant Themes

  • Global citizenship
  • Ethical responsibility to one another
  • Cross cultural communication
  • Sacrifice
  • Human rights (and women’s rights)
  • Immigration/illegal immigration
  • Journeys
  • The meaning of home
  • Colonialism and its ramifications
  • Identity/self-discovery
  • Human nature
  • Friendship
  • Overcoming adversity
  • Communication
  • Setting goals
  • Citizens’ rights