Jonathan and I were out on a date a couple of months ago (thanks Mom!) and we had some extra time after dinner, so we browsed in a bookstore. I first noticed the cover art for Little Bee, then was intrigued by the information on the front flap which states, “We don’t want to tell you what happens in this book. It is a truly special story and we don’t want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know enough to buy it, so we will just say this: This is the story of two women. Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face. Two hears later, they meet again–the story starts there….Once you have read it, you’ll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don’t tell them what happens. The magic is in how the story unfolds.”
Ok. I was really intrigued, but didn’t really feel it necessary to purchase the book since our bookshelves had only recently been cleaned out during a bit of prebaby panic on my part. I looked for the book at the library and it was in circulation, but not on the shelf. I placed a hold and waited for two months for a copy to arrive. Once I started reading, I almost wished I hadn’t, but I’m glad I finished and it has made me think.
I won’t go into specifics of the plot because the author has requested as much (though you can probably read more about that on amazon or goodreads), but I will say this is a well written, cleverly told story of two women whose lives are impossibly intertwined. It was hard to pick up and continue reading after the first few pages and even more difficult to put down as I both hated knowing the story and needed to know what would happen to the main characters.
In short, I recommend this book. While it is an easy read, it isn’t the usual fluff I go for at this time of year. Also, if you happen to be pregnant, nursing or just someone who cries easily, this might be a difficult book to read. It will challenge you to think of what you might do in a similar situation and perhaps consider how your own life choices affect others you’ve never met. It might also make you cry.
OK, Kelli, now I want to read it. I just finished Shanghi Girls, and I really like it. I’ve been in a stint of reading books with Chinese or Japanese settings/characters. Do you think this would be a good bookclub selection? I’m in two….
Hi Kerry! I do think it would be good for a book club, but keep in mind that I’ve never been in a book club so I probably don’t know what I’m talking about.