Tuesday, September 11, 2012

September's Book Discussion: Little Bee

Our book club, 38th Ave. Diva Readers discussed, Little Bee. I wrote a post on my previous post about my thoughts of Little Bee. I will just say, I loved it.

We again, met at Rita's Art and Soul.  Unfortunately, we will not be meeting there again. We will just try again finding a new home.  For now, we are trying restaurants, not sure if that work, when discussing a book, while eating you tend to stir off the subject a bit. Will just have to see what happens.

It seems like I was the only person that loved Little Bee. This book had everything I like to read. Something I don't know anything about, wanting to know about the African culture.

For the first time, we actually had a heated discussion. Someone said who cares about Africa. We should care about us, as Jews in England. First off, we are American. Yes, I do care about what happened. But, I don't live in England. I am not sure why we even had that conversation. Unless, she was comparing Jews in England to illegals in England, and how both were treated. I was furious, and had to hold my tongue. "It is the holocaust all over again, just a different name, " Genocide".

She told us, she hated Little Bee. Each person has a right to their opinion. That is what makes a good discussion away. There are going to be people that like the book and people that don't like a book.

We talked about the story was so unbelievable, which is true. But, once you get past that and take the story for what it is. Then you fall in love with it.

The sacrifices you make, would you? or wouldn't you? Can you live with yourself once you make that fateful mistake of making or not making sacrifices? Unfortunately, Andrew, Sarah's husband could not live with himself. What Little Bee, did by watching instead of doing something. She could not sacrifice herself without being caught by the authorities.  He could not live with himself. So, he did the deed. Lawrence, Sarah's lover could not sacrifice himself.  But, at the end Little Bee and Sarah both sacrificed themselves. But, would you do it for strangers? Sarah did, and Little Bee.
That is why Andrew could not live with himself. He saw himself as a coward. His wife could do it, but not him. He felt his wife saw him as a failure and a coward.

We also discussed Sarah's son, Charlie. Why the superhero. Children have imaginary friends all the time. This was a way to protect himself. Children need protectors all the time especially when they are young.

Reading the novel, helped bring out things that are not normally discussed. It is usually swept under the rug. This is what I brought up to our book club.  Certain novels bring up uncomfortable subjects, and bring it to the forefront. I am glad Little Bee did that for Nigeria, the oil companies, the Nigerian government, and genocide should be talked about. This is the same thing that happened during the holocaust, everyone wanted to look the other way, and ignore it.

What I wished we discussed about, DARN, I forgot,  was after I went home. Looking at the book cover. Sometimes you don't see the book cover the way you should, you glance at it.  It is a African woman, and then where the eye is suppose to be, is figure, I am assuming Sarah.  Contrasting points of view of the story.

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