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A review by andrew61
A Question of Power by Bessie Head
4.0
From what I have read this is novel with its origins in the real life of this remarkable author. Elizabeth leaves South Africa after learning that she has a white father and black mother. In Botswana, with her young child, she moves to a village where she works inbthe community garden and her relationship with the locals is explored.
What is incredible about this book is the portrayal then of a woman suffering from a mental health breakdown as she is visited on a nightly basis by 2 Gods and their supporting cast of frightening hallucinations.
This is a tough read as the confrontation with her demons is uncomfortable and harrowing but this is a tale of a single mother overcoming incredible adversity and mental illness. I found the picture of hallucinatory experiences distressing but beautifully evoked into an incredible narrative.
This is my second bessie head novel and she was a writer of wonderful talent whose writing is a beacon for African women's creativity.
What is incredible about this book is the portrayal then of a woman suffering from a mental health breakdown as she is visited on a nightly basis by 2 Gods and their supporting cast of frightening hallucinations.
This is a tough read as the confrontation with her demons is uncomfortable and harrowing but this is a tale of a single mother overcoming incredible adversity and mental illness. I found the picture of hallucinatory experiences distressing but beautifully evoked into an incredible narrative.
This is my second bessie head novel and she was a writer of wonderful talent whose writing is a beacon for African women's creativity.