So Long a Letter

Name: So Long a Letter
Brand: Allen & Unwin
SKU: 9781803289120
Price: 14.99 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

By Mariama Bâ

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( 11,663 ratings, 1,175 reviews)

Summary

So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ is a poignant and insightful narrative exploring the personal and societal struggles of a recently widowed Senegalese woman. Through a series of letters to her friend, the protagonist reflects on her life, grappling with themes of love, friendship, motherhood, and the challenges imposed by traditional gender roles and cultural expectations. The story deftly portrays the emotional landscape of a woman seeking personal identity and empowerment amidst social constraints.
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Format: Paperback / softback

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate deeply personal narratives that explore themes of friendship, gender roles, and societal change in post-colonial Africa. Through the lens of a Senegalese woman's experiences, the story delves into the emotional impact of cultural expectations and modernisation, offering a poignant insight into African women's resilience and inner lives.

So Long a Letter

Mariama Bâ's debut, So Long a Letter is an epistolary novel that captures the private lives of women in 1970s Senegal. It won the 1980 Noma Award for Publishing in Africa at the Frankfurt Book Fair and was recognised as one of Africa's 100 Best Books of the 20th Century by the Zimbabwe International Book Fair.

Mariama Bâ’s pioneering debut, So Long a Letter, captures the private lives of women in 1970s Senegal.

Description

Mariama Bâ’s pioneering debut, So Long a Letter, captures the private lives of women in 1970s Senegal.

Recently widowed, Ramatoulaye is required to take sole responsibility for the long mourning process of her late husband, a husband she has not seen in over four years – not after he married his second wife. In a letter to her friend, Ramatoulaye recalls both of their experiences as students impatient to change the world, as wives suffering in the private sphere of marriage, and as mothers witnessing the dangers of Westernisation.

Undaunted by topics of polygamy, social castes, and religion, So Long a Letter is a novel rich with poetic prose and profound wisdom.

‘Mariama Bâ is in a class of her own, conveying with real power and poetry a subtle, changing world of female experience.’ Guardian

‘The most deeply felt presentation of the female condition in African fiction.’ Abiola Irele

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ is often praised for its powerful and poetic exploration of the female experience and the social changes affecting women in Senegal. It offers a deeply felt presentation of the female condition in African fiction, providing a politically astute and passionately engaging portrayal of life for educated Muslim women.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781803289120

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 October 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Apollo

Contributors:

Translated by Modupé Bodé-Thomas

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 8.0mm

Width: 127.0mm

Height: 193.0mm

Weight: 120g

Pages: 144

Collections

Education & Reference Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Mariama Bâ

About the Author

Mariama Bâ was born in Dakar, Senegal in 1929. Brought up by her grandparents after the early death of her mother, Bâ's father fought to continue her education past primary school.

After winning the first prize in the entrance examination to train as a teacher at École Normale, Bâ taught in Dakar from 1947 until 1959 and later became an educational inspector.

A vocal activist for women's rights and class equality in Africa, her literary work often criticised the lack of educational opportunities offered to women as well as challenging the systems of polygamy and castes in Senegalese society.

Mariama Bâ died in 1981.

Translated from French by Modupé Bodé-Thomas.