thatothernigeriangirl's review
4.0
Opening Spaces is an anthology of contemporary African Women’s writing, edited by Yvonne Vera, whose introduction is probably one of the best I’ve ever read from an anthology👏🏾
This book sought to celebrate recent (at the time of publication) writings by African women united in their views through the “prism of a combined womanhood” and for the first time since I’ve been reading anthologies, I thoroughly enjoyed every story (except one). Opening spaces, All the Women in my Family Sing and The Things I would Tell You can share similarities in terms of their very diverse style of writing and representation.
Aidoo’s The Girl Who Can touches on the subject of policing the female bod through the eyes of a child and with that childish innocence and intelligence intact while Myambo’s Deciduos Gazettes manages to discuss multiple angles from which women struggle when it comes to romantic/sexual relationships with the opposite gender.
Momplé’s Stress, told in a way to questions the society’s pressure and expectations on the males and how it inherently affects the females in the society, helps you refocus and emphasize with the struggles of African men and how African women bear the brunt in the long run.
For the first time, an anthology based on Africa/ about Africa includes the work of only one Nigerian author and I’m impressed by this because, let’s be real, Nigerian authors take up too much spotlights when it comes to African Literature 🌚
Anyway, Okoye’s The Power of a Plate Of Rice highlights a very important point; how African women rebel against oppressive, patriarchal systems in their own little way, down to taking over a plate of hot spicy jollof rice. In A Perfect Wife, Dao smashes this popular notion that women will always fight over men and as such can’t be friends, while schooling the reader on multiple aspects of the Malian culture.
Last but most definitely not the least, Leila Aboulela contributed to the anthology with her short story, The Museum, which one the first Caine Prize for African Writing. In it, Aboulela shed light on the struggles of being an African woman away from home, studying in a foreign (white) country. The academic, emotional and identity struggles are highlighted without losing the catchiness of the story.
All in All, a superb 4.5 stars and I really hope another one of this anthology, featuring more countries like Seychelles 🇸🇨 , Mauritania 🇲🇷 , Rwanda 🇷🇼 , Madagascar 🇲🇬, etc, will come out of the continent
This book sought to celebrate recent (at the time of publication) writings by African women united in their views through the “prism of a combined womanhood” and for the first time since I’ve been reading anthologies, I thoroughly enjoyed every story (except one). Opening spaces, All the Women in my Family Sing and The Things I would Tell You can share similarities in terms of their very diverse style of writing and representation.
Aidoo’s The Girl Who Can touches on the subject of policing the female bod through the eyes of a child and with that childish innocence and intelligence intact while Myambo’s Deciduos Gazettes manages to discuss multiple angles from which women struggle when it comes to romantic/sexual relationships with the opposite gender.
Momplé’s Stress, told in a way to questions the society’s pressure and expectations on the males and how it inherently affects the females in the society, helps you refocus and emphasize with the struggles of African men and how African women bear the brunt in the long run.
For the first time, an anthology based on Africa/ about Africa includes the work of only one Nigerian author and I’m impressed by this because, let’s be real, Nigerian authors take up too much spotlights when it comes to African Literature 🌚
Anyway, Okoye’s The Power of a Plate Of Rice highlights a very important point; how African women rebel against oppressive, patriarchal systems in their own little way, down to taking over a plate of hot spicy jollof rice. In A Perfect Wife, Dao smashes this popular notion that women will always fight over men and as such can’t be friends, while schooling the reader on multiple aspects of the Malian culture.
Last but most definitely not the least, Leila Aboulela contributed to the anthology with her short story, The Museum, which one the first Caine Prize for African Writing. In it, Aboulela shed light on the struggles of being an African woman away from home, studying in a foreign (white) country. The academic, emotional and identity struggles are highlighted without losing the catchiness of the story.
All in All, a superb 4.5 stars and I really hope another one of this anthology, featuring more countries like Seychelles 🇸🇨 , Mauritania 🇲🇷 , Rwanda 🇷🇼 , Madagascar 🇲🇬, etc, will come out of the continent
ninachachu's review
3.0
As usual in a short story collection, a variable bunch. Many from Southern Africa.
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