Two worlds collide: "Litte Bee" by Chris Cleave

I admit...I bought Little Bee because of the cover.

The beautiful profile silhouette reminded me of an artist, Kara Walker, and her haunting, affecting cut-outs. The show I saw was in LA a few years ago, but deeply affected me. It was the first thing I thought of when I saw the cover of Little Bee.

Walker's cutouts are not for the faint of heart. They highlight and make real the fear and shame and desperation in parts of American history, but they also bring beauty and life to it. As I looked closely at the cutouts, which covered huge walls and were life-size, I felt small in insignificant. I felt a sadness, not just for slavery and it's irreparable consequences, but for every injustice in the world, and for every stark contrast between an "us" and a "them."

So far, Little Bee is much the same. I feel it in the same place. Although it takes place in England (and partly in Nigeria), any person who thinks thoughtfully about the state of our world would be haunted and deeply affected by the juxtaposition of the two worlds the women in the story come from.

I'm still processing what I'm reading - more when I figure out how to put it into words.