Book Review of Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
I had thought I wouldn’t be able to finish the book, given the length of it and the short time I had to start and finish reading the book. But it was so interesting that I stayed up all night to read. I was done within three days. (I probably should apply for the world record of the fastest reader of all time).
The book explored themes that included marginalization, grief, man’s inhumanity to man, cruelty, domestic abuse, racism, love, community, etc. It was also about finding self and becoming a better version of one’s self, something along the line of reinvention.
The book revolves around the lives of twelve black British women from different backgrounds and generations, whose stories are directly or indirectly linked to one another. Some other characters were not part of the twelve and played lesser roles, but were still memorable e.g. Waris, Nzinga, and Glenmore Jones.
The one thing that I found riveting was how the lives of the different characters in the book were intricately interwoven. This was evident as they (i.e. most of the characters) came together for the central event, which was the opening of Amma’s play, The Last Amazon of Dahomey, at the National Theatre in London.
The separate chapters that focused on each of the twelve characters read like a short story on its own. Thus, I was fascinated by the way the characters had different perspectives on the same subject matter albeit in different sections of the book e.g. Carole and Miss Shirley King, La Tisha and Carole, Penelope and Miss Shirley King. Something that also stood out was that most of the characters had a secret, some much more grievous, heart-wrenching, and/or damning than the others.
The beautiful thing about this book was how well the characters were fleshed out and distinct in their description and role. There were a lot of details about the characters, which included the food they eat and the clothes they wear. Four of the characters that stood out for me, in no particular order, are as follows:
Penelope: this character of the twelve main characters seemed to be out of place because she was “white.” She is a twice-divorced feminist, who is now old and jaded. As a teacher in the Peckham school, she had unconcealed disdain for the non-English students, which more or less defined her as a racist. She is a bit controversial, which is why I find her appealing, a love-to-hate character.
All these got me wondering what qualified her as a main character in a predominantly black-dominated book. However, in the book’s epilogue, an Ancestry DNA test revealed that some of her ancestors were part of the non-English people she openly despised. Thus, it was interesting to see this character who regarded herself as a “purebred white woman,” come full circle to realize she was of black heritage.
Carole: the depth and strength of the human will to survive and thrive is what is revealed in this character. Carole is a child of poor immigrant (Nigerian) parents and an average student, without necessarily standing out for being good or bad. However, she was sexually assaulted at age thirteen and kept this a secret for the rest of her life. But she was able to decide to live a life better than the one she was born into. She enlisted the help of a teacher in the Peckham school, Miss Shirley King, who helped her achieve academic success.
Carole’s pursuit of success led to a full adaptation of the English culture to the dismay of her Nigerian mother. She eventually becomes the vice president of a major bank. But her untreated sexual trauma plagues her from time to time, and her success ensures a total disconnection from her immigrant culture/ roots.
Carole’s story is a reflection of the dilemma that second-generation immigrants go through when caught between their parents’ expectations to succeed in a new country, and still conform to the culture of their parents’ birth country.
Winsome: “Skeletons in the cupboard” is what comes to mind when I read about this character. She is different from all the characters in the book because she is not nursing any business ambition or goal, all she wants is “some good sex” from the husband of her daughter. A character with a dark secret, one that is damning enough, to forever cause conflicts if it ever comes to light. This is a character that adds a bit of suspense to the book, as I was left wondering if her secret would ever be exposed or if she would go down to the grave with it. Well, I guess we will never know, would we?
LaTisha: Unlike the typical “good girl gone bad,” this character is more like, “bad girl gone good.” LaTisha is a character that highlights the importance of family, or at least a community you can rely on. This shows in the relationship and interaction between her and her father. His presence provided stability for the family, and his absence led to chaos, in terms of LaTisha’s negative attitude to life and bad behavior in school. This resulted in her becoming a baby mama as she birthed three different babies for three different men. Eventually, LaTisha manages to get herself back on track and does not end up living a life of total regret. But the return of her father showed that you can only do so much, because the presence of a (good) father figure should, could, and would always be of immense help. Family can sometimes, be everything.
The key attributes/things I picked from the characters I listed above are controversial, determined/strong-willed, secretive, and love/ family. These are what attributes every writer should seek to incorporate in their characters.
Signed
Olumide Holloway (King Olulu)
