Talk about coming late to the party: Chris Cleave's Little Bee (Simon & Schuster, $14.00 paperback) made its resounding critical splash in 2009. When a book is much-hyped my instinct is to avoid it, for reasons I can't always fathom. But I've been watching Little Bee pick up a second wind in paperback this year, and when a copy fell into my hand I decided the gods were sending me a message.I have not cried this much while reading a book for a very long time. It took me two nights to read Little Bee, during which I entered the early hours of the morning clutching a fistful of tear-sodden tissues. Everything about it -- the cover, the blurb on the back, the glowing praise from People and O Magazine -- suggests a story that will ultimately resolve itself through an affirmation of humanity's innate goodness. But instead of presenting a cleanly wrapped emotional package of love triumphing over sorrow and despair, Chris Cleave ruthlessly, albeit beautifully, skewers your heart.
This is a powerful, genuine novel that more than earns its considerable critical accolades. If you haven't yet considered it seriously, I urge you to pony up for the paperback, but prepare yourself; it is only for the strong of soul, and while quick to read it is difficult to forget.
Buy it here: Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Borders • IndieBound • Simon & Schuster
