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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
4.5 Stars.
The vignette structure is really difficult to pull off, as often times it can be frustrating to get invested in a character before suddenly being introduced to a new POV, but Evaristo does it well in this book. I didn’t have the same issues reading that I had with Khaled Hosseini’s ‘And the Mountains Echoed’; each section was tied up at the end, not leaving any loose narrative threads. (The one exception to this is maybe LaTisha’s section. Does she accept her dad back into the family? How does she deal with the fact that he abandoned them?)
I also really like how nuanced the characters are. They may be prejudiced or unkind at times (e.g. Penelope, Shirley), but the reader is still shown the difficult and complex parts of their lives, and encouraged to be empathetic to their hardships.
Favourite sections:
- Dominique: The linear structure was easy to follow, and the introduction of Nzinga’s abuse towards her felt very well paced. It created a sick, creeping feeling in my stomach that kept me hooked to the page, desperate to see Dom escape.
- Bummi: After reading about her from Carole’s perspective, it was nice to see her point of view. Her life story was very compelling, and I’m glad she got her happy ending with Kofi (though I’m sad that her internalised homophobia ruined her relationship with Omofe).
- Morgan: Slightly biased here because they’re trans and I’m trans. This whole section just made me feel very seen. And it made me consider buzzing my hair off.
(Edit 15/07/25: I’ve read some other reviews that have made me reconsider my opinion on Morgan’s section. I still like the story, but I also think that including an afab non binary main character in a book centred around womanhood sort of reinforces the idea that we’re ‘woman-lite’. In most synopses, the characters are referred to as “twelve women”, completely erasing Morgan’s identity. If Evaristo wanted to discuss womanhood in the context of being trans, then why not include a trans woman as a main character?)
Least favourite sections (that were still very good):
- Yazz: I really don’t like how mean she is to her mum. Amma’s section is right before hers, and it ends with her stating how much she loves her daughter and how she hopes she comes home after uni. Then we get Yazz’s section, where she states her plan to make her mum sell her house and move to “an unfashionable seaside town”, so she can use the money from the sale to buy a flat. Also, she ranks her favourite godparents based on how much money they give her at Christmas.
- Winsome: I don’t understand why she slept with her son in law. I get that he was a younger, more attractive version of her husband, but like, he’s married to your daughter. And I think she became so dismissive of Shirley towards the end out of jealousy. I did enjoy reading her recollection of the past though.
I did not see that ending coming, but it worked perfectly. Really ties up a lot of the central themes of the book (especially family).
I got used to the poetic formatting eventually.
The vignette structure is really difficult to pull off, as often times it can be frustrating to get invested in a character before suddenly being introduced to a new POV, but Evaristo does it well in this book. I didn’t have the same issues reading that I had with Khaled Hosseini’s ‘And the Mountains Echoed’; each section was tied up at the end, not leaving any loose narrative threads. (The one exception to this is maybe LaTisha’s section. Does she accept her dad back into the family? How does she deal with the fact that he abandoned them?)
I also really like how nuanced the characters are. They may be prejudiced or unkind at times (e.g. Penelope, Shirley), but the reader is still shown the difficult and complex parts of their lives, and encouraged to be empathetic to their hardships.
Favourite sections:
- Dominique: The linear structure was easy to follow, and the introduction of Nzinga’s abuse towards her felt very well paced. It created a sick, creeping feeling in my stomach that kept me hooked to the page, desperate to see Dom escape.
- Bummi: After reading about her from Carole’s perspective, it was nice to see her point of view. Her life story was very compelling, and I’m glad she got her happy ending with Kofi (though I’m sad that her internalised homophobia ruined her relationship with Omofe).
- Morgan: Slightly biased here because they’re trans and I’m trans. This whole section just made me feel very seen. And it made me consider buzzing my hair off.
(Edit 15/07/25: I’ve read some other reviews that have made me reconsider my opinion on Morgan’s section. I still like the story, but I also think that including an afab non binary main character in a book centred around womanhood sort of reinforces the idea that we’re ‘woman-lite’. In most synopses, the characters are referred to as “twelve women”, completely erasing Morgan’s identity. If Evaristo wanted to discuss womanhood in the context of being trans, then why not include a trans woman as a main character?)
Least favourite sections (that were still very good):
- Yazz: I really don’t like how mean she is to her mum. Amma’s section is right before hers, and it ends with her stating how much she loves her daughter and how she hopes she comes home after uni. Then we get Yazz’s section, where she states her plan to make her mum sell her house and move to “an unfashionable seaside town”, so she can use the money from the sale to buy a flat. Also, she ranks her favourite godparents based on how much money they give her at Christmas.
- Winsome: I don’t understand why she slept with her son in law. I get that he was a younger, more attractive version of her husband, but like, he’s married to your daughter. And I think she became so dismissive of Shirley towards the end out of jealousy. I did enjoy reading her recollection of the past though.
I did not see that ending coming, but it worked perfectly. Really ties up a lot of the central themes of the book (especially family).
I got used to the poetic formatting eventually.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
a book i truly needed to read
as a black woman, ive longed all my life for representations and people just like me that i could look up too. however, most of the books i read are full of white people, taking place in the western world or inspired by it and if there are poc characters, theyre only side characters. i guess you could say that this book made me feel seen (not all of the book but some parts of it)
it also tackles a lot of topics i don't read about very often (even some deeply important to me)
it took me some time to get used to the writing style and the number of characters and how they're linked to each oother kind of lost me at time
as a black woman, ive longed all my life for representations and people just like me that i could look up too. however, most of the books i read are full of white people, taking place in the western world or inspired by it and if there are poc characters, theyre only side characters. i guess you could say that this book made me feel seen (not all of the book but some parts of it)
it also tackles a lot of topics i don't read about very often (even some deeply important to me)
it took me some time to get used to the writing style and the number of characters and how they're linked to each oother kind of lost me at time
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Μόλις ολοκλήρωσα το βιβλίο και ομολογώ πως ήταν μια σχετικά απαιτητική εμπειρία.
Είναι ογκώδες, με πάρα πολλά ονόματα και άπειρες ιστορίες, και αυτό με κούρασε αρκετά.
Κι όμως, υπάρχει κάτι στη γραφή της Evaristo που με κράτησε∙ μια γραφή χωρίς τελείες, με καταρακτώδη ροή που εν τελει, ρέει αβίαστα, σαν προφορική αφήγηση.
Δεν είναι μόνο δώδεκα ιστορίες γυναικών όπως μπορεί να περιμένει αναγνώστης.
Στο βιβλίο ανοίγονται δεκάδες ζωές μέσα από τις ζωές των γυναικών αυτών: μητέρες, κόρες, φίλες, σύντροφοι, γενιά μετά από γενιά.
Η Evaristo καταφέρνει να δώσει βήμα σε φωνές που αλληλοδιαπλέκονται, χωρίς να ξεχωρίζουν πάντα καθαρά, δημιουργώντας ένα μωσαϊκό εμπειριών που μιλά για όλες.
Με δυσκόλεψαν τα πολλά ονόματα και οι παράλληλες ιστορίες· σκέφτηκα ότι την επόμενη φορά θα κρατούσα σημειώσεις.
Αλλά μάλλον το μυστικό είναι άλλο: να αφήνεσαι στο ρυθμό και να το διαβάζεις γρήγορα, χωρίς να προσπαθείς να κρατήσεις όλες τις λεπτομέρειες. Να παραδοθείς στη ροή και να αφήσεις τις φωνές να σε κατακλύσουν.
Ένα βιβλίο φιλόδοξο, πολυφωνικό και μοναδικό, που παρ’ όλες τις δυσκολίες του αφήνει σίγουρα το αποτύπωμά του.
♥️
Είναι ογκώδες, με πάρα πολλά ονόματα και άπειρες ιστορίες, και αυτό με κούρασε αρκετά.
Κι όμως, υπάρχει κάτι στη γραφή της Evaristo που με κράτησε∙ μια γραφή χωρίς τελείες, με καταρακτώδη ροή που εν τελει, ρέει αβίαστα, σαν προφορική αφήγηση.
Δεν είναι μόνο δώδεκα ιστορίες γυναικών όπως μπορεί να περιμένει αναγνώστης.
Στο βιβλίο ανοίγονται δεκάδες ζωές μέσα από τις ζωές των γυναικών αυτών: μητέρες, κόρες, φίλες, σύντροφοι, γενιά μετά από γενιά.
Η Evaristo καταφέρνει να δώσει βήμα σε φωνές που αλληλοδιαπλέκονται, χωρίς να ξεχωρίζουν πάντα καθαρά, δημιουργώντας ένα μωσαϊκό εμπειριών που μιλά για όλες.
Με δυσκόλεψαν τα πολλά ονόματα και οι παράλληλες ιστορίες· σκέφτηκα ότι την επόμενη φορά θα κρατούσα σημειώσεις.
Αλλά μάλλον το μυστικό είναι άλλο: να αφήνεσαι στο ρυθμό και να το διαβάζεις γρήγορα, χωρίς να προσπαθείς να κρατήσεις όλες τις λεπτομέρειες. Να παραδοθείς στη ροή και να αφήσεις τις φωνές να σε κατακλύσουν.
Ένα βιβλίο φιλόδοξο, πολυφωνικό και μοναδικό, που παρ’ όλες τις δυσκολίες του αφήνει σίγουρα το αποτύπωμά του.
♥️
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Het duurde even voor ik me over de schrijfstijl kon zetten, maar ben blij dat ik deze mooie bundeling verhalen heb kunnen lezen - over stuk voor stuk sterke vrouwen.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
A wonderful listen. However I found the audiobook format clashed a bit with the winding, back-and-forth story pacing and I found it hard to keep up with which characters were connected to whom. 4/5 stars for now but likely would go to 5 upon reading the text version which I think would be easier for me to follow.
I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this, although definitely check trigger warnings beforehand as it does detail some traumatic experiences!
I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this, although definitely check trigger warnings beforehand as it does detail some traumatic experiences!
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The writing style took some getting used to; so much so that I initially rated this book 4 stars, rounding down from 4.5 because of it. I ended up changing it to 5 stars because I think this book deserves it, even if I didn’t love the stylistic choices. With that said:
Girl, Woman, Other is an amazing collection of rich, poignant tales about varied, yet connected experiences centered around identity and the too-prevalent sense of otherness. The characters are well fleshed-out, each possessing their own distinct voice; although the chapters are relatively short, none of them left me feeling like something was missing.
I’m not gonna lie: the moment I thought this would be a collection of short stories, I was unsure if I would like this book, no matter how much the topic drew me in. It was a relief to find out that, while each chapter tells a separate, unique story, they don’t feel disconnected at all – and not only because of the recurring themes. It was a delight to catch all the little details that showed how all of the characters’ lives were intertwined, from big and obvious connections to smaller, yet no less significant ways in which two people’s paths can cross.
To touch upon every single character would take up way too many paragraphs and likely not do them justice anyway, so I’ll settle for sharing my thoughts about the book as a whole. Firstly, what I loved about Girl, Woman, Other is that, just like the title promises, it gives voice (primarily) to women. Men, of course, exist; oftentimes, they play quite important roles, but with the exception of a short part in the epilogue, it is not their perspective at the forefront. Rarely do I get to read a book that so unabashedly shows the world through the eyes of almost exclusively women.
The intersectionality of this book is impressive, even more so because it doesn’t feel forced. The most noticeable source of otherness for nearly all the characters is, of course, being Black in the UK, but Evaristo does a great job showing that people are not a monolith just because they are of the same race. Between queerness, social status, immigration history, roots, small family traditions, and the myriad of choices the characters make, all of them are individuals who come to terms with their identity in a world that does not encourage that in their own ways. The intergenerational take was brilliant; I loved seeing these characters in the context of their times, and how they deal with how the world keeps changing. Hats off to Hattie for at least trying to be open-minded about gender identity topics at 93 years old, even if she didn’t quite get it.
There’s not a lot in this book that a white, cishet reader could relate to. I imagine that for some, that would make it a hard read, but I think that that’s the beauty of such books. Being a white queer woman, reading about Black (and, in general, non-white) queer experiences helps me to understand the aspects of the community I might never have gotten to learn about otherwise; and being a white woman, I never would have known what it can be like to grow up a Black woman if those women didn’t choose to share their stories. There's such a wealth of knowledge in books like this one, and the more of them I see in bookstores – promoted! Not shoved off to the back – the more hope I have that one day otherness will finally be demystified.
Girl, Woman, Other is an amazing collection of rich, poignant tales about varied, yet connected experiences centered around identity and the too-prevalent sense of otherness. The characters are well fleshed-out, each possessing their own distinct voice; although the chapters are relatively short, none of them left me feeling like something was missing.
I’m not gonna lie: the moment I thought this would be a collection of short stories, I was unsure if I would like this book, no matter how much the topic drew me in. It was a relief to find out that, while each chapter tells a separate, unique story, they don’t feel disconnected at all – and not only because of the recurring themes. It was a delight to catch all the little details that showed how all of the characters’ lives were intertwined, from big and obvious connections to smaller, yet no less significant ways in which two people’s paths can cross.
To touch upon every single character would take up way too many paragraphs and likely not do them justice anyway, so I’ll settle for sharing my thoughts about the book as a whole. Firstly, what I loved about Girl, Woman, Other is that, just like the title promises, it gives voice (primarily) to women. Men, of course, exist; oftentimes, they play quite important roles, but with the exception of a short part in the epilogue, it is not their perspective at the forefront. Rarely do I get to read a book that so unabashedly shows the world through the eyes of almost exclusively women.
The intersectionality of this book is impressive, even more so because it doesn’t feel forced. The most noticeable source of otherness for nearly all the characters is, of course, being Black in the UK, but Evaristo does a great job showing that people are not a monolith just because they are of the same race. Between queerness, social status, immigration history, roots, small family traditions, and the myriad of choices the characters make, all of them are individuals who come to terms with their identity in a world that does not encourage that in their own ways. The intergenerational take was brilliant; I loved seeing these characters in the context of their times, and how they deal with how the world keeps changing. Hats off to Hattie for at least trying to be open-minded about gender identity topics at 93 years old, even if she didn’t quite get it.
There’s not a lot in this book that a white, cishet reader could relate to. I imagine that for some, that would make it a hard read, but I think that that’s the beauty of such books. Being a white queer woman, reading about Black (and, in general, non-white) queer experiences helps me to understand the aspects of the community I might never have gotten to learn about otherwise; and being a white woman, I never would have known what it can be like to grow up a Black woman if those women didn’t choose to share their stories. There's such a wealth of knowledge in books like this one, and the more of them I see in bookstores – promoted! Not shoved off to the back – the more hope I have that one day otherness will finally be demystified.
Bernardine Evaristo writes about the lives of her protagonist in a captivating way, providing unique voices for Amma, Yazz, Dominique, Carole, Bummi, LaTisha, Shirley, Winsome, Penelope, Morgan, Hattie and Grace.
Evaristo thrives in the exploration of topics such as race, identity, sexuality, abuse, trauma, migration, womanhood or motherhood through different lenses and experiences that the diverse cast of characters provides to the story. Although these topics are a common thread along the story, the fact that the group of protagonists is so diverse in age, sexuality, background, education and even country of origin, allows Evaristo to dive deep into these commonalities from different lenses and perspectives.
I also really enjoyed how the interactions between some of the women were analyzed from those different perspectives (specially the conversations between Amma and Yazz).
Heartbreaking and heartwarming —sometimes, even at once— Girl, Woman, Other is a fantastic exploration of womanhood, queerness and blackness.
Evaristo thrives in the exploration of topics such as race, identity, sexuality, abuse, trauma, migration, womanhood or motherhood through different lenses and experiences that the diverse cast of characters provides to the story. Although these topics are a common thread along the story, the fact that the group of protagonists is so diverse in age, sexuality, background, education and even country of origin, allows Evaristo to dive deep into these commonalities from different lenses and perspectives.
I also really enjoyed how the interactions between some of the women were analyzed from those different perspectives (specially the conversations between Amma and Yazz).
Heartbreaking and heartwarming —sometimes, even at once— Girl, Woman, Other is a fantastic exploration of womanhood, queerness and blackness.