moraa
Written on Aug 13, 2020
Be a person with knowledge, not just opinions.
Joint Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2019.
(before you ask, yes, I’ve read The Testaments).
THE SUNDAY TIMES 1# BESTSELLER & BOOKER PRIZE WINNER
*One of Goodreads Most Popular Books of the Past Decade*
This is Britain as you've never read it.
This is Britain as it has never been told.
From Newcastle to Cornwall, from the birth of the twentieth century to the teens of the twenty-first, Girl, Woman, Other follows a cast of twelve characters on their personal journeys through this country and the last hundred years. They're each looking for something - a shared past, an unexpected future, a place to call home, somewhere to fit in, a lover, a missed mother, a lost father, even just a touch of hope . . .
'The most absorbing book I read all year' Roxane Gay
'[Bernardine Evaristo] is one of the very best that we have' Nikesh Shukla
'Beautifully interwoven stories of identity, race, womanhood, and the realities of modern Britain. The characters are so vivid, the writing is beautiful and it brims with humanity' Nicola Sturgeon
'A choral love song to black womanhood in modern Great Britain' Elle
'Bernardine Evaristo can take any story from any time and turn it into something vibrating with life' Ali Smith
'Exceptional. You have to order it right now' Stylist
- ISBN10 0241984998
- ISBN13 9780241984994
- Publish Date 5 March 2020 (first published 2 May 2019)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
- Format Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
- Pages 464
- Language English
Reviews
Joint Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2019.
(before you ask, yes, I’ve read The Testaments).
clementine
Written on Oct 4, 2019
I thought this was just delightful - clever, vibrant, moving, funny, political. I loved how the convergence of all the characters' narratives revolved around a play, with the book divided into five parts (which could be seen as acts). Each character was so well-developed and interesting. Evaristo simply excels at capturing the multiplicity of Black womanhood in the UK. Her attention to the humanity of her characters is admirable. The treatment of gay and trans characters was wonderful, as well. I yearned to spend more time with some of these characters, and while every perspective was equally interesting and readable, sometimes the shift in POV was a bit sad!
Overall, a book whose humour does not betray its depth, with wonderful writing and larger-than-life characters. Totally recommend.