 [Larger view] | So Long a Letter (African Writers Series)
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 Marriage, motherhood, and friendship | |
| "So Long a Letter," by Mariama Ba, is a short novel (only 90 pages), but it is rich in ideas and emotions. According to a note about Ba at the beginning of the book, she was born in the African nation of Senegal and died in 1981. The book has been translated from French by Modupe Bode-Thomas. This novel is written in the form of a long letter by Ramatoulaye, a Senegalese widow, to her friend Aissatou. Ramatoulaye discusses the lives, marriages and families of both women, and reflects on their friendship. As she writes, the story of her life is fleshed out. Ba has created a fascinating look at postcolonial life in the former French West Africa. This portrait is decidedly from a woman's perspective and is focused on issues that particularly impact women's lives. Ba explores a multigenerational web that links women and men together. Ba's subject matter includes motherhood, marriage, religion, education, and politics. Particularly fascinating are her explorations of the role of the "griot" (described in the book's endnotes as "part-poet, part-musician, part-sorcerer") and the practice of cowrie shell divination. A key element in the book is polygamy as practiced in the Muslim African world. The book deals much with women's relationships--with husbands, with children, with adult female relatives, and with friends. The book is about surviving loss and disappointment; it's also about hope and personal growth... | |
| So long a letter is a classic from Africa | |
| I am a Nigerian American residing in the bay area. In high school, (Obot Idim), I was opportuned to read the novel, "So Long a letter" and was quite reluctant to part with it. Infact, the book was quite a sensation in my dormitory in high school. I just read it again last week and it still remains a classic in my opinion. It is very well written and conveys the emotional trauma of the protagonist, Ramatoulaye. The book essentially tries to depict the double standard in an Islamic faith and it is poignantly and beautiful portrayed in this novel. I highly recommend it, and infact, this novel ranks as one of the best novels that I have read which has inspired me to pen a novel. | |
 86 gender it is a great read for anyone | |
| A short and easy read that is incredibly insightful into the psyche of the protagonist. Displays well the troubles of women not only in her position but women in general. Focuses on the gender issue at hand as opposed to the racial one and in doing so makes a statement about the oppression that women have withstood for much longer than the two thousand seasons Ayi Kwei Armah refers to as the period of African oppression. Reads well and is very enlightening to all readers, and especially male. The structure flows well and does not subject itself to a strict ajenda and therefore comes of as very very introspective. |
