"A scar means I survived." -- Little Bee

Little Bee is a beautiful novel about the journey of a Nigerian girl: stealing away from murderous soldiers, detained in an immigration detention center in Britain, connecting with a family who provided sustenance and love.

Little Bee herself tells the story, beginning "In a few breaths' time I will speak some sad words to you... Sad words are just another beauty. A sad story means the storyteller is alive. The next thing you know, something fine will happen to her, something marvelous, and then she will turn around and smile..."

Little Bee's story is alive with loss and gain, with sadness and joy. Her story expands our sense of the violent conflicts in our world and of the common humanity of all people.

She describes, for example, how the oil rebels in their jungle camps love U2, how the government soldiers love U2, how the detention center guards love U2. "Everyone loves U2 but no one likes each other," she observes.

Little Bee was a Christmas present, and I read it in December. I can't leave it behind. In this season of Lent and Easter the story lingers in my spirit. It is a sad story, with glimmers of hope amid stark realities. The strong heartbeat of the story is courage and victory, the same heartbeats of this holy season.