FINISHED READING - Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

When you first start reading a novel its the quality of the writing that strikes you first. Whether its sparse, cold, succinct, warm, flowing, flowery, passionate, restrained, illuminating, imaginative or simply dull. Great writing has this sense of positive uplift as you read, a burgeoning enthusiastic engagement- Oh yes, I am going to really enjoy this. This will be exciting to read. Girl, Woman, Other completely grabbed my attention and never really let go through all its four hundred plus pages. This was a real treat.

With each chapter you are presented with a central character whose background and present story is told. The following chapter will be someone else perhaps only briefly encountered in the previous tale. Each woman's story tells us of the different way they live, the pressures to be a certain way, the prejudices, the rebellions,the conformity, the confidence or lack of it, successful or not, the loves and tragedies. Everyone responds in a unique way to this sense of being seen as other, whether that be as a being through class, female,black, mixed race, gay, trans. These are the many perspectives vividly brought to life, their upsides, their downsides, triumphs and failures. Each woman linked to another via a chain of experience over many generations and eras. Holding across the narrative a shared unity of purpose and desire for meaning.

Evaristo shows you every angle and obstacle. How each person findstheir particular way through. Some do not overcome their limitations, some fight, the consequences are not always beneficial. The richly diverse ways to a persons identity are often hard won. Her overarching focus is femininity, gender and race and how these intersect with one another. Shown in all its complexity and multi-facetedness. I identified with their struggle. Where for all their best efforts and intentions, they do fail, and whether they learn or not from that failing. Striving to fully realise your identity is an ongoing universal human desire. 

The expression of gender has behavioural expectations and limitations in our society. Ones further compounded by cultural and racial prejudices. These are just three ways in which the human desire to be liberated can be either thwarted or manifested. People simply want to feel free to be who they want to be. Sometimes they prove to be their own worst enemy, but just as often its other people, other men, other women, their partners, families, social expectations that are crippling them.

This is a truly fabulous book, each chapter a kaleidoscopic window on not just one, but many women's experience of life. At the same time it presents a picture of Britain too, not always likeable or favourable. A Britain that still can't quite bring itself to full embrace the broad spectrum of this wonderfully rich diverse nation, as it actually is.

CARROT REVIEW - 7/8