So Long a Letter | 
pickSecond book for World Literature this semester finished! Senegalese teacher Ramatoulaye writes a long reflection on her struggles when her husband takes a second wife to her lifelong friend Aissatou, who decided to divorce her husband under similar circumstances. One of the first feminist African novels, this book weaves larger arguments about colonialism, independence, and women's rights into intensely personal dramas.
#JumpStart2023
Long letter but short book about a woman in Senegal whose husband took a second wife and abandoned his first family. She writes to her friend about their respective lives, their friendship, and the evolving roles of women in post-colonial Western Africa.
#womenintranslationmonth
pick#MayMoms Day 24: There is a story of a #Divorced Senegalese Muslim woman here along with a widowed first wife abandoned by her husband for the second younger wife. As noted in my review, I like that it is narrated in a crystal-clear voice that is emancipatory and filled with a resolute sense of self that can not be denied. The quote above also shows how women in a postcolonial Senegal were perceived. More here: https://wp.me/pDlzr-onY
#MayMoms Day 5: Perhaps chocolate crepe with vanilla ice cream and turkish coffee is quite #Unhealthy - but hey we are on a week-long holiday, so let‘s indulge! Book is part of our #DecolonizeBookshelves2022 reading theme and included in āThis Is The Canonā booklist. š
Book that #BeginsWith #Long Day 16 - these are two of the books I bought while in the US for our #DecolonizeBookshelves2022 reading theme.
pickClocking in at only 95 pages this translated epistolary novella addresses the life of a Muslim woman in Senegal who is frustrated with the polygamy present in her culture and is left to raise 12 children after her unfaithful husband dies. It also addresses colonialism and changing cultures--a perfect book for a readathon or for your reading challenges! I counted it as epistolary for #readharder #summersendreadathon
Sometimes a certain book comes into your head when you see a prompt and you‘re not exactly sure why. This is that book for me today.
A powerful epistolary novella, this is a letter written by Ramatoulaye to a friend after the demise of her marriage. She is coming to terms with her past, in a melancholy but hopeful way.
#ayeupaugust #crymeariver
pickA beautifully crafted, perfect novella.
Ramatoulaye is a Senegalese woman who has recently been widowed. She is a teacher, and the mother of many children. She writes a letter to her friend during a difficult time, and it is vibrant and beautiful and sad and hopeful.
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pickIf anyone asks why i read so much this book is the perfect example of one reason, the ability to step into a life i cannot experience but need to understand. This is a 94 page letter from a Senegalese woman whose husband, having taken a second wife, dies suddenly having abandoned his 1st family of 12 children. Fiercely independent, this Muslim woman asserts the rights of women in the face of cultural pressure to take a new husband. Enlightening.
Picked up my library reservation for my female diverse a-z (of which im not making a lot of progress) and called in for a quick pint. And of course photo of book.
pickI am a woman trying to find my place in this world. I am a woman who is, more than ever, aware of what it means to be an African woman navigating this world.
Books like this make me exceedingly grateful for the gifts of the voices of women before me. For the truths told and the representation of African feminism. Of words that reach across decades with so much ease and could easily be the words of my mother, and hers before her...Deeply grateful.
pickEver wonder how polygamy works? Well, not to a woman‘s advantage, of course. This book highlights that through the stories of two life-long friends taking different paths as they navigate the disaster of their husbands taking a second and younger wife, as their religion and culture allows. (Rules written by men. Surprise! Bissimilai!). An articulate, epistolary novel of Senegal that highlights the struggle of African women for enlightenment.
Reading for #BlackHistoryMonth while acknowledging my privilege of being able to read about African women's struggle from the safety and security of a South Orange County CPK. #BehindTheOrangeCurtain #Satyagraha
Im writing a paper on this book, but I'm not sure what direction to take the paper yet. Have anyone of you read this book? Do you have any suggestions? Thank you!
pickThis short novel is written in the form of a letter from Ramatoulaye to her childhood friend, Assiatou, on the death of her husband. These two women share the experience of a happy marriage until the moment their husbands have taken young, second wives.
In her letter Ramatoulaye writes her thoughts on polygamy, mourning, widowhood and motherhood. An intimate portrait of an emancipated woman in Senegal, filled with hope.
#1001books
My favorite class in college was African Lit, mostly because it was taught by my favorite professor, Dr. Abala. I felt that her class and the books we read elicited such great discussions. She is also a published author, with one of her books being on the right. The other two books we actually read for the course. I'm sure there were more, but I can't recall them. #lyricalapril #africa
This is an epistolary novel as the title suggests. The protagonist takes the opportunity to write about her husband's death to a long time friend and gives the reader a look into the life of women in post-colonial Senegal. #womenintranslation #aprilbookshowers
pickA short book that really packs a punch. Mariama BĆ¢'s deeply personal narrative explores the complexity of marriage, polygamy, motherhood and widowhood as a woman and a Muslim in Senegal. Competing pressures of faith, tradition and the freedoms and dangers of modernity are beautifully evoked with not a single word wasted.
It's Women in Translation month! Here are a few wonderful books to check out. (Links in comments.) There are soooooooo many more we could name - tell us some of your favorites below! šā¤ļø #LitsyRecommendations
