Girl, Woman, Other

4.5/5

as someone to whom magical realism often feels devoid of the depth and meaningfulness that I associate with literary fiction, this novel has completely blown me away. Bernardine Evaristo dedicates each chapter to a different character, which is portrayed in a way that captures their singular, diverse experiences as racialised women living in Britain, as opposed to a homogenised feminist narrative. Yet at the same time the way Evaristo interconnects these different stories is truly astonishing, bringing together race, gender, sexuality, social class and age, while recognising that each category holds ambiguous (at times conflicting) experiences and perspectives. the beauty of this book lies in its ability to join together individuality and collectivity, personal and political, struggle and joy.