'Girl, Woman, Other' by Bernardine Evaristo

Rating: 3.5 / 5

My Plot Overview:

We follow the lives of twelve very characters, united in the fact that most are black British women. Their stories interweave seamlessly, and span over a century.

Evaristo's prose is bright and zingy in this critically acclaimed novel. We have no punctuation marks at all and the words seem to jump off the page. It speaks volumes (please excuse my pun) about race, class, nationality, feminism, sexuality and gender. Crucially, it is testament to what should be obvious: the huge diversity in experience across a black female Britain that has previously been criminally underrepresented. If you want to go and do some literary stalking, the author's website is here: https://bevaristo.com/

Although I shall maintain that this novel should be on your reading list, it wasn't entirely an addictive, un-put-down-able experience for me. Due to the nature of its structure (dedicating a chapter or so to each character) I lacked deep connection with any of the characters. I wanted them each to have their own novel instead! Evaristo makes superb points these through characters, but I just didn't have time to invest that much... except with Dominique who I will eternally stan.

I have read a vaguely similar book called 'Things a Bright Girl Can Do' by Sally Nicholls which finds its backdrop in the women's suffrage movement in WW1. This novel too covered multiple characters, but at a more leisurely, nuanced rate, which I personally preferred. Each to their own though!