Welcome to the book report.
The march report.
Have you ever just had a vivid image in your head? One that you want to scribble down on paper before it fades? Well, this newsletter is just one of my scribbles.
Books are a huge part of my life, always have been. They’ve been there for both the good and the bad. A part of my life that I showcased on YouTube and other blogging platforms until I let the mundane humdrum of everyday life get in the way. Until now…
Welcome to the book report.
A newsletter where I hold myself and my reading goals accountable. Each month, I’ll write one indepth book review and chuck in other bookish tidbits that have caught my eye. For now, I’ll leave you with my latest musings…
In March, I inhaled Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo. I’ve had my eye on this one ever since its publication in 2019. But like many people, I had to wait for the paperback to be released before I could loosen my purse strings.
Evaristo’s 8th novel follows the lives of 12 characters, most of whom are black British women. These accounts journey through cultures, decades and continents. Each story is masterfully interwoven in the foundations of another. As you’re sucked into each narrative, the meeting of a previous narrator brings not only utter delight but a fresh perspective. It’s like meeting an old friend. An old friend who’s changed. This has been termed fusion fiction.
Each narrative is just 50 or so pages long and by the final page, you know the character like the back of your hand. You’re versed in their intricacies and idiosyncracies. You feel placed to judge their decisions and their life. And it’s this theme of judgement that runs throughout the novel. Some characters barely imprinted on one another’s lives but their judgements ran deep and preoccupied much of their time and energy. It echoed how opinions are formed of total strangers in the 21st Century. We touch on each other’s lives but cast judgement and opinions as if it’s nothing.
But with judgement comes understanding which in turn creates forgiveness. There is an unspoken understanding between these intersecting characters that their actions are for a reason. A good reason. A just reason.
Evaristo’s characters are passionate. They’re feminists. They’re equalitarians. And, they’re powerful. Each in their own way.
The novel starts with Amma as the key narrator. As a playright, she’s proud to be making her debut at the National Theatre with her play The Last Amazon of Dahomey. The other 11 characters, for the large part, are drawn to this opening night where they are thrown together in the closing chapter of the novel.
Throughout each narration, I felt fulfilled as a reader. Those 50 pages were enough for me to feel connected to each and every character and for me to understand the struggle that each and everyone of them faced. Evaristo raises timeless questions around race and feminism through those who are affected by preconcieved judgements the most.
This is a staggeringly brilliant work of fiction that can only help outsiders understand the struggle faced by black British woman today. I couldn’t put this down but when I had to, I started to delve into Evaristo’s back catalogue for more.
Other books I read in March: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid.
*This was previously published as part of my newsletter, The Book Report. To be the first to read my bookish ramblings, sign up to my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/gYRnz1