A review by lindseyzank
So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ

4.0

I think if we read Ba's fictional letter as more of an essay about socialism, religion, family, marriage, and women, then we will be much more satisfied as readers. As a "novel," it just doesn't have enough going on- and that's not because of the length (though partially so, of course), but because characters quickly come and go and we never get any true character development outside of Ramatoulaye's own grappling with the death of her polygamous husband. I absolutely love Ba's consideration of what it means for a progressive, liberated woman to raise daughters. This is a conflict and contradiction that I think needs to be explored more often. Some of the side stories are a bit tangential to the overall aim of the letter. Because we only get Ramatoulaye's letter to her friend Aissatou, we are mostly in the dark in terms of Aissatou's point of view, which I find jarring.Likewise, we never get to hear Binetou's perspective about being the "second" wife; perhaps there exists internal conflict for the younger wife as for the first wife. Ba doesn't experiment with any of those possibilities, leaving the story a bit flat. Her commentary about healthcare for women, education for girls, and the role of women in politics is what really elevates the text for me.