The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
Girl, Woman, Other – Bernadine Evaristo
READ FOR BOOKERTHON
A story of modern Britain and black womanhood told through the eyes of 12 different women
⚑ “This is a beautifully paced novel which at first I thought was a collection of separate stories. However the links and interwoven threads soon became apparent and we dive deeper and deeper into the characters’ lives. Learning about a character from multiple people’s perspectives gave a richness and layering that often isn’t achieved when a story is told form a single point of view.
“We also go back and forth and in time and start to get a better understanding of the trajectory of certain characters and an empathy for their motivation and decisions. Their was a lovely rhythm to this book and I was sad when it came to and end.” – Suzy
⚑ “Girl, Woman, Other does what few other novels do by giving black, gender diverse, women a chance to speak. It sounds moralistic but it is not. These 12 stories are not about colour or sexuality, they are about people, flawed and complex people, who have struggles and successes. It’s about their loves, their triumphs, their identity and family connections.
“Each character has a chapter dedicated to them, but the stories overlap slightly to provide links, and more of a novel rather than 12 short stories. I have not read Evaristo before, but can see she is a master of characterisation. The women and their families are so well formed. The book is written in a poetic style, with ideas or simply words being dedicated their own line with limited punctuation. As such it flows nicely and is beautiful to read.” – Rachel
—–
Published 2019
Hamish Hamilton
464 pages
We’re currently reading:
Books read:
How many books have we read for bookclub in the past 17 years?
The Free-Range Bookclub 
Recent Comments