Welcome to Litsy!

I really dropped the ball on the Reading Africa challenge, but I did found a new author.

Paulina Chiziane is from Mozambique and a Camões prize winner. The book I read is not the tagged one, but it's about a mother and daughter and their lives between the colonial period and post independence.

Rima discovers her husband has another woman in his life, including children. Then she discovers another and another. Eventually, the women come together to confront Tony in this novel of patriarchy and feminism, #Mozambique style. I really enjoyed this one.

#ReadingAfrica2022

"That‘s exactly what marriage is all about. Agreeing to snuff out your candle, so as to use your companion‘s torch, while he decides the amount of light you should have, and at what time and on what occasions."

"Solitude in love is like being a loose grain of sand that produces no shade. It‘s to sleep on a mattress of stars gathered by my own hands."

"And to you, God, we ask one thing: Free the goddess–if she exists–so that she can show her face even if it‘s only for a second. She must be tired of preparing so much sacramental wine, so much communion bread up there in the heavenly kitchen ever since the world began. If there is no goddess–forgive me, God–but with so many women in the world, why don‘t you keep a few dozen for yourself?"

I had never read a book about a polygamous marriage. This was an unique perspective, being inside Rami‘s head and following along with her machinations. Really enjoyable.

Obesessed with this book! Really looking forward to reading all Chiziane‘s work! In English the title is The First Wife.

What I love about doing interesting reading challenges like Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge is finding gems hiding in plain sight. I was thrilled to find this book from Mozambique's premier woman writer in my library! I'm looking forward to starting this and making more progress in the challenge. This will be the "Read a book published by a micropress" choice.

What is forbidden for me, the other woman is allowed. I am offended by this contradiction.

Just finished this one and loved it. Went to the Archipelago Books website and found SO MUCH literature in translation there. They are my new publishing crush. And check out this sampling of the books they will be publishing this year! Sooooooo tempted by their subscription...

The First Wife looks amazing. First #LiteratureinTranslation from Mozambique for me.

I close my eyes and scale the mountain within me. I look for myself. I can't find me. In each corner of my being, all I can find is his image. I let out a sigh, and all I can utter is his name. I sink into the very depths of me and what do I find? only him. my love for him is pure and perfect, can he not see that?

Tides and eddies of emotion and the complex relationships between (sister) wives are the focus of this novel. The women would all be too easily stereotyped and flattened as victims in other less capable, clever, and empathetic hands. We needed a novel like this, and with this level of skill. I'm grateful

Finished up this fascinating novel by Mozambique‘s first published female novelist Paulina Chiziane. The depth of culture, tradition and how each character is deeply rooted to it makes this novel so very fascinating.

Excited to have gotten my hands on this ARC, and to learn that the author is the FIRST woman in Mozambique to publish a novel (whut). Considering putting some washi tape over the subtitle so as not to shock customers at work tomorrow...but also who cares? (Please excuse the shameless cat promotion.)