In his novel “Little Bee,” Cleave takes images of people he encountered working at an immigrant detention center — some horrific, some humorous — and weaves them into an unforgettable story.

Two thirtyish British journalists trying to salvage their faltering marriage take a free vacation at a resort in Nigeria, where they encounter a scene of unspeakable brutality on a beach they were told to avoid. When a young girl (Little Bee) they thought had been killed that day turns up on their doorstep after two years in an immigrant detention center, the guilt and horror they have been carrying around takes over their lives.