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A review by funktious
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A celebration of black British women’s voices and experiences which should be read widely. Beautifully diverse, with the experiences of immigrants contrasted with those of their British born children - wanting your child to go to university then the pain of them turning their back on their heritage as they do - and the varied experiences of those across a range of sexual and gender identities. The women aren’t all likeable, all the time, (Winsome! How could you?!) but none of us are. Evaristo does a great job of really showing us these women; flaws, dreams, fears, regrets and all. And I enjoyed discovering the interconnectedness of the narratives.
The downside for me was the way the stories were told - all exposition / narrative and very little time actually with the characters, in their lives. This has always been a bugbear of mine (see also The House of the Spirits and Practical Magic) - I like a character driven book but not one that just feels like it’s being. The format, on the other hand, didn’t bother me at all.
The downside for me was the way the stories were told - all exposition / narrative and very little time actually with the characters, in their lives. This has always been a bugbear of mine (see also The House of the Spirits and Practical Magic) - I like a character driven book but not one that just feels like it’s being. The format, on the other hand, didn’t bother me at all.