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Little Bee: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 100,813 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Little Bee, the young female refugee from the Nigerian delta, must master the Queen's English and the Queen's England if she is to escape her past and make a life in the UK after two years in a refugee detention center. The novel opens on the day Little Bee is released from the center with no identification papers and only the address of an English couple, Andrew and Sarah, whom she once met on a Nigerian beach. All three of their lives were horribly changed by that meeting on the beach. When Little Bee unexpectedly appears at Sarah's doorstep, it is the day of Andrew's funeral.
Told in turns in the first person by Little Bee and Sarah, the novel follows these two women as they struggle to save each other and themselves. Little Bee tries to make a life for herself in a totally alien land, while Sarah must come to terms with her choices in London including an extramarital affair and her seemingly frivolous career path. United by their past and by love for Sarah's young son Charlie, Little Bee and Sarah become indispensable to each other. But their bond will face the ultimate test when the system catches up with Little Bee, and each woman must make a devastating decision.
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"Probably one of my all time favourites. The story of a young Nigerian immigrant and a British woman whose lives are intertwined is a real find. Both women are great characters and when the connection between them is revealed it is heart breaking. Excellent writing."
— Christoph (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Urgent and wryly funny.”
— O, The Oprah Magazine -
“An affecting story of human triumph.”
— New York Times -
“The voice Cleave has created for [Little Bee] illustrates the forcible dislocations of a globalized world.”
— Washington Post -
“A loud shout of talent.”
— Chicago Sun-Times -
“Vividly memorable and provocative.”
— Boston Globe -
“Book clubs in search of the next Kite Runner need look no further than this astonishing, flawless novel.”
— Library Journal (starred review) -
“Cleave is a nerves-of-steel storyteller of stealthy power, and this is a novel as resplendent and menacing as life itself.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“[Cleave] has a sharp cinematic eye, and humanizes disturbing issues around refugees and the situation in Africa.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Artfully told and lyrically performed, this audiobook resonates.”
— AudioFile
Little Bee Listener Reviews
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Ikhlas Adiler, 2/27/2024
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" Such a lovely book to listen to. The reader's voice brought the heart wrenching story to life. "
— little red bird, 4/25/2018 -
" This was a great book with amazing narration. I think that listening to the audio of this book versus reading made a difference in how I interrupted the content and story. "
— Lainey Rose, 12/30/2017 -
" Loved the book and especially how it was narrated, I think listening to it versus reading it made it much more “real”. "
— Lainey, 12/28/2017 -
" I so rarely read adult books anymore and every time I do, I remind myself that I often prefer MG/YA. Much to this novel I loved - Little Bee herself being the biggest thing. But . . . oh, some seriously sad and numb aspects to this story. "
— Carrie, 2/13/2014 -
" I don't saying you "like" this book is the right description. It is compelling. It caught me a little off guard. I strongly recommend it. I'm reading it again. "
— Delena, 2/1/2014 -
" This book was not what I expected. It is just not the book for me. It didn't keep me interested and I only finished reading it because I excepted something more. Sorry for the bad review :( "
— Samantha, 1/29/2014 -
" Excellent book. In line with other reviews of this book - it's an excellent read of an excellent story. No details given as anything said would spoil your enjoyment of the development of the relationships between the characters. "
— Roisin, 1/27/2014 -
" This is a great book! It's a heartbreaking story, but one that you can't wait to get through. I definitely recommend this book. "
— Cindy, 1/18/2014 -
" It was tough reading the first couple of chapters, but it is a good story. "
— Sabrina, 1/17/2014 -
" Enjoyable read, the ending is disappointing! "
— Mairi, 1/14/2014 -
" Dull. Couldn't wait for it to end. I thought it went round & round in circles & didn't actually get anywhere. Very depressing read but brilliantly written if that makes sense' "
— Sam, 1/13/2014 -
" Wow. That's all I can say. A MUST read. "
— Lisa, 12/26/2013 -
" Great Book- didn't particularly like the ending, but was a page turner and an easy read.. "
— Jami, 12/23/2013 -
" Favorite book of the decade for me, simply loved it. "
— Laurie, 12/17/2013 -
" This was a book I read for Book Club. I mostly enjoyed it - the ending was a little too realistic. It was a good story of how people connect across the world. We really must think more about African political wars and the way we treat immigrants. "
— Linda, 12/6/2013 -
" this book sucked me in from the beginning "
— Carlene, 10/24/2013 -
" Had no idea what it was about upon reading it, not the easiest reads in terms of content. "
— Evelyn, 6/21/2013 -
" Really wanted to like this. Fluffy. "
— Hilary, 12/13/2012 -
" Loved this book! While reading it I oftentimes thought what would I do if I was in Sara's situation. "
— Wendy, 9/4/2012 -
" Lovely book, read it cover to cover in one day "
— Laura, 1/5/2012 -
" There could have been more to this book but I felt disappointed by the writing and the characters. "
— Leanne, 10/28/2011 -
" Amazingly written, and I cared deeply about the characters - thus, a heartbreaking novel. "
— Aravinda, 9/20/2011 -
" The prose is truly beautiful. Which is good, because after a few chapters, some of the actions of the main characters becomes quite repugnant. It is a gripping and enthralling novel. It feels so real. "
— Erin, 9/4/2011 -
" I had never thought about this situation from an immigrant's point of view. "
— Melinda, 8/3/2011 -
" So sad, but a good story. "
— Tara, 6/30/2011 -
" A little outlandish but definitely worth the read....not sure why they made such a big deal about the "secret" ending though. <br/> "
— Kathy, 6/30/2011 -
" Beautifully written, very intense and somewhat depressing. "
— Jessica, 6/30/2011 -
" This book was interesting, but a little hard to read at points. i liked it, but didn't LOVE it like others i know have "
— Kristin, 6/30/2011 -
" Fabulous book about a woman whose last-minute trip to Nigeria changes her life forever. Fiction...but has a lot of historical accuracy. Very moving story. "
— Robin, 6/30/2011 -
" Very good book, ending is a little sad. "
— Lindsey, 6/29/2011 -
" Beautifully written. Sad, but there's some hope there. "
— Barbara, 6/28/2011 -
" Horrible, just horrible. Don't let the cover fool you. This book is sinister. "
— Deborah, 6/28/2011 -
" One of those books where you go through every emotion possible. "
— Greta, 6/28/2011 -
" Good, easy book club read. Some nice surprises along the way. Enjoyed reading the story from two different perspectives. "
— Kim, 6/27/2011
About Chris Cleave
Chris Cleave is the author of Incendiary and the #1 New York Times bestseller Little Bee. He is also a columnist for the Guardian.
About Anne Flosnik
Anne Flosnik, a seasoned audiobook narrator, has over four hundred titles to her credit and several awards and distinctions, including AudioFile Earphones Awards, a USA Today Recommended Listening selection, an AudioFile “Best Narration of the Year” selection in 2009, and the American Library Association’s Special Services to Children Award. She has also been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She is an award-winning British actress with lead credits on stage, on television, and in commercials and voice-overs.