Issue 26: Books By Women π
A carefully curated list of books everyone should read, now and always. All the better if you are a woman. It's a bit long!
Yesterday, I skimmed through an unimpressive article that defined what it means to be Nigerian, in a rather harmful way. I say skimmed because I was put off from the first line. It described Nigerians as "loudmouths'' (reason one). The explanatory texts in the article proved my suspicion from seeing just the title: the article was written with a foreign audience in mind. I've previously written about stereotypes and pandering in literature, so I won't rehash those points.
I've always maintained that food adverts that focus on female characters or use copy that targets women alone are dangerous. I understand the term βtarget marketβ, but I believe that the media is useful in reshaping harmful narratives and promoting inclusion. I maintain the same opinion about literature; continuously normalizing harmful behaviour does no one good (one thing the article did).
The second reason I skimmed the article is that content, oporrrrr, and I just don't have the time to consume anything that doesn't add value (and value can be relaxing my nerves.)
As a writer and generally, someone who feels like they have a lot on their plate, I'm very selfish about what I read and watch. Next week, I'll go into how I decide what to read or consume and why I think you should come up with some sort of criteria to help you decide what to consume.
For this letter, I'll focus on literature by women that shaped my life and exactly how they did. I first stumbled on the concept of βright timeβ when my sister tried to read Wizard of The Crow by NgΕ©gΔ© wa Thiong'o and said it wasn't for her and that she'd try again sometime in the future. She was 17. Itβs okay for you not to understand or relate to a book or story everyone is raving about. I'm telling you this because the books on this list, for me, are just as important for the content as they are for the time in my life in which I read them. I had to reread some, like Beloved, to fully appreciate them.Β
A Room Of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
βA woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fictionβ
The writing profession has always been dominated by men. Can women write great stories? Yes. Whatβs stopping them? In 1928, it was the domestic nature of womenβs lives. It was gatekeeping. Since then, itβs been many things. Virginia Woolfβs essay, now referred to as a feminist text, was a critique of the obstacles that came between women and writing. Today, a few things have changed, but I think that the obstacles have morphed to fit the digital age β known attempts to erase and censor minority groups, publisherβs attempts to dictate the kind of stories women of colour write, etc.
I read this, around the time I was studying law. I realised how privileged I was to be able to write and have parents who support me. I decided then, that I was going to take advantage of it.Β Reading the book also made me realise how faulty the βfather to husbandβs houseβ process that Nigerian women have to go through βcompulsorilyβ is. Every woman needs a room (space and time) of her own, writer or not.Β
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
In my third year in uni, a lot of my beliefs aligned with feminism, but if anyone asked, Iβd shrug it off and say I wasnβt a feminist or I was only a feminist because I didnβt like to cook. Lol. So I was a secret feminist for years.Β I remember reading this book in a napep on the way to my parentβs home one day and deciding I wouldnβt hide anymore. It gave me more liberty to express myself.Β
Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank
This tells the story of Anne Frankβs family who suddenly had to go into hiding as a result of Hitler's treatment of Jews in Europe during the second world war. They escape to Amsterdam where they go into hiding with other Jews.
βAs Iβve told you many times, Iβm split in two. One side contains my exuberant cheerfulness, my flippancy, my joy in life and, above all, my ability to appreciate the lighter side of things. By that I mean not finding anything wrong with flirtations, a kiss, an embrace, an off-color joke. This side of me is usually lying in wait to ambush the other one, which is much purer, deeper and finer. β¦.β
I never read the full thing (I watched the movie). I read excerpts here and there. But even years later and decades since she wrote the words, I can feel the depth of her thoughts and emotions. I want to make people feel things when I write. Reading it made me want to document more β for posterity's sake. Over the years, Iβve kept a lot of journals and diaries and well, Twitter (until they suspended my account).
Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers
A book on how God used women in the bible to change history: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, Mary. While I read it really young β I think I was 12 β their stories have stayed with me and inspired me. Rahabβs story was my favourite. Rahab was a sex worker that helped the Israelites in capturing Jericho. It was a refreshing story, even as a young girl, that helped me see the distinction between reality and the Bible. At the time I read it, around me, there was a lot of judgment and condemnation especially when it came to women who didnβt conform to stereotypes. There still is. It made me wonder if Rahab, a woman in the bible, wasnβt judged then, why do we judge women now? Years later, I discovered the encounter the adulterous woman in the bible had with Jesus, and that just made my point. I want to read it again
The Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta
I was thinking about this story late last week and early this week as I transcribed and wrote this interview about a woman who doesnβt like her children. It was the first story I read that really disturbed me, in terms of the theme of motherhood and tradition. At the end of the day, it was down to this: no one has to aspire to motherhood.Β
βGod, when will you create a woman who will be fulfilled in herself, a full human being, not anybodyβs appendage? she prayed desperately.β
βΒ Buchi Emecheta,Β The Joys of Motherhood
BelovedΒ by Toni Morrison
In 2018, I was obsessed with Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, and a whole lot of other black writers. What reading Beloved, fretting over the words, the sentences, the syntax, the characters, did for my writing, is that it made way for my voice. At first, everything I wrote was an attempt to rip-off Toni Morrisonβs voice. My good friend, Tolu, warned me about this. By continuously writing, I was able to shed off the layers and make way for a voice that I am still discovering. Speaking of, you should totally read my latest story about grieving and the End SARS protests.Β
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
It was the author's life that fascinated me, not necessarily the book. Donβt get me wrong, I love this book so much. The sexual awakening of a character who grows into herself, walks in and out of marriages was new to me and yet familiar. As a sixteen-year-old, her grandmother married her off to an old man after she was caught kissing a boy. She endured this marriage and one other stifling marriage before she finally met the man of her dreams.Β
Still, in a way, it was a means to an end: the book led me to Zora Neale Hurston. Their Eyes Were Watching God is considered the first black feminist novel. But it wasnβt given that much regard in its time. Instead, it was heavily criticized for the stylistic language choices and for characters that were βbackwardβ or βinappropriateβ.Β
One would expect that after a book as groundbreaking as this, Hurston would come into the limelight. Unfortunately, her work slid into obscurity for decades, for both cultural and political reasons. You read reviews and you see things like βshe never gained recognition for the work she did during her lifetimeβ and it saddens me, more than it angers me. Iβm glad that things are changing. A little. Itβs one reason Iβm pro-collecting your flowers (or dollars) now.Β
The Master's Tool Will Never Dismantle The Master's House by Audre Lorde
Exploring the roots of the βangryβ Black woman, she stressed the importance of intense emotions. Audre Lorde told me it was okay to be angry and demand better when everyone said it wasnβt.
My memory isnβt the greatest, so Iβm pretty sure Iβm missing some amazing books on this list, but just know I curated this list with love. I need to reread Pride and Prejudice, now as an adult. Honorable mention to I know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, The God Of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Efuru by Flora Nwapa, God Help the Child by Toni Morrison.
Things I enjoyed this week:
Side note: Iβm stoked that you found last weekβs letter useful! PSA: errors in this letter are a reminder that this is a labour of love, lmao. See you next week! Donβt forget to like, comment, share!Β