The story begins with Little Bee being released from a British immigration detention center after two years of horrific conditions. She makes her way to the home of Sarah, whom she had met years earlier during a traumatic incident on a Nigerian beach.
In flashbacks, we learn that Sarah and her husband Andrew had been vacationing in Nigeria when they encountered Little Bee and her sister Nkiruka, who were fleeing soldiers during an oil conflict in the Niger Delta. A tragic confrontation ensued, forever altering the lives of all involved.
As the novel progresses, Little Bee and Sarah's lives intertwine once more in England. Little Bee stays with Sarah and her young son Charlie, as Sarah grapples with Andrew's recent suicide. The two women work through their shared trauma and grief by telling each other their stories.

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