Gold

by Chris Cleave
Hennepin County Library audiobook, 10 CDs
read by Emilia Fox
genre: realistic fiction

Chris Cleave is an amazing author! Although I like Little Bee more than this story, his writing is powerful and gripping. This tale of personal demons and Olympic glories entranced me. I couldn't completely dislike Zoe as she and Kate battled for supremacy in track cycling. Kate's story broke my heart with her love for Jack, daughter Sophie, and even her love for Zoe as a friend. Even though this was due back at the library three days ago, I *had* to finish it!!! I'll gladly pay the fine.

Fox's vocal work was impeccable! She got Tom's Aussie accent, Jack's Scottish brogue, and the women's lovely accents as well. Fantastic all the way around.

Little Bee

by Chris Cleave
Hennepin County Library, hardcover 271 pages
genre: modern day refugee fiction, relationships

Beautiful. Painful. Haunting. Mary V recommended this last spring. I got on the reserve list in June or July. I got this copy three weeks ago and it's due back tomorrow (waiting list). Read it over the last few days.

Little Bee is a Nigerian girl and Sarah is a British woman. They met once on a beach in Nigeria. Two years later, they meet again. The front flap of the book says, "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."

I'll just say that it is very worth reading, but very challenging, too. (Emotionally, mostly. Intellectually, it made me curious to know more. How close to reality is this fiction?)

I'm dying to discuss this with book club, but it's not one of our book club titles! We might have to put it there for next year.



I started to listen to the audiobook about a month ago. I remembered loving this book, but wasn't enjoying some of it as I started "reading" it this time around. I checked this blog entry and pressed on. Alas, it was due back at the library and I had a stack of other books to read. Here are my notes from the first two discs:

- scene where Andrew and Sarah O'Rourke are having sex and little Charlie shows up with poop everywhere . . . why?!
- Yvette from Jamaica, girl with documents, girl in yellow sari, and Bee from Nigeria . . . I wish I could learn more about the other women's stories. So fascinating to look at immigrants and what is happening nowadays . . .

That's it. Too many books and too little time. So I returned it to the library and wen with some other books piled up in my room.