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Summary
Rating
Genre Literary
Format Hardback (gift from family)
Other Formats Available Paperback, ebook, audiobook
Publication Date May 2019
Length 451 pages
Content Warnings Racism, homophobia, transphobia, domestic abuse, sexual assault and rape, miscarriage, post-natal depression, death, grief
What It’s About
In Girl, Woman, Other, Bernardine Evaristo intertwines twelve lives – mostly Black, British women. Their voices range from Hattie, an ancient mixed-race grandma struggling to keep her family farm and her pride along with it, to Amma, a Black lesbian playwright whose radical work is showing at the National Theatre for the first time.
Through this lively spectrum of characters, Evaristo explores the nuances of identity, connection, and what it means to be proud of who you are.
Own Voices Reviews
Before I begin my review proper, I just wanted to point out that I am a white, straight, cis female – from this position of privilege I cannot personally relate to many of the experiences described in Girl, Woman, Other. With that in mind, I would like to preface by linking to some own voices reviews:
Carmella @ The Lesbrary
Darkowaa @ African Book Addict
If you have written an own voices review of Girl, Woman, Other, please do let me know by dropping a comment and I will make sure to add it to this list.
Review
I was immediately drawn into Girl, Woman, Other by the fluid writing style. Some reviewers have found this difficult, but I thought it perfectly suited a book that is so invested in overturning existing structures.
Amma’s point of view was the perfect opening number – I love books with a bit of an edge and so her radical perspective had me hooked straight away:
“Amma then spent decades on the fringe, a renegade lobbing hand grenades at the establishment that excluded her”
~ Bernardine Evaristo, ‘Girl, Woman, Other’
Girl, Woman, Other was a 5-star read right from the start. It’s the best book I’ve read so far this year and will easily make it into my final top 10 post.
For any other writer, I would have said the premise of Girl, Woman, Other was just too ambitious. Twelve different points of view??? Nevertheless, Evaristo had me invested in each and every character, likeable or less-so, within just a few pages.
I also admired how the different perspectives loop into and out of one another, often in unexpected ways, which prevents the novel from feeling like a short story collection. The ‘after-party’ section at the end which brings many of the women together was particularly brilliant.
Although I was engaged with every single character, some favourites did emerge by the end…
Amma, the radical black lesbian theatre director, Bummi, the mother who must watch her daughter push away her heritage, and Hattie, the 90-year-old farmer who responds with as much love as bemusement to her grandchild coming out as non-binary were all completely unforgettable.
Analysis
Diversity and Representation
The polyvocal diversity was, of course, one of my favourite elements of this book. Evaristo centres black women from a variety of diaspora populations, plus there are multiple instances of LGBTQIA+ representation, including Morgan, a non-binary protagonist and the first I have encountered in my reading so far.
“gender is one of the biggest lies of our civilization”
~ Bernardine Evaristo, ‘Girl, Woman, Other’
Themes
- Identity
- Race
- Sexuality
- Gender
- Family
- Desire
- Activism and politics
- History
- Migrant experience
- Success
- Class
- Motherhood
Beyond the Book
In this novel, Evaristo calls attention to a demand that I think I have been guilty of: expecting one person from marginalised groups to speak for everyone. These demands are very much satirised in Girl, Woman, Other:
“his bredren and sistren could damned well speak up for themselves why should he carry the burden of representation when it will only hold him back? white people are only required to represent themselves, not an entire race”
~ Bernardine Evaristo, ‘Girl, Woman, Other’
Discussion Questions
If you’re reading Girl, Woman, Other as a book club pick or just looking to ponder the story in a little more depth, these questions should help get you started:
1. While reading Girl, Woman, Other, I found myself Googling new-to-me ideas and debates such as colour-blind casting. Did this apply to you, and have you encountered any other books that challenge you to expand your worldview in this way?
2. Which perspectives did you find particularly intriguing and/or relatable?
3. Most of the negative reviews of Girl, Woman, Other focus on the unique structure. Did you find this difficult, or did it enhance your reading experience?
The Round-Up
Favourite Quote
“be a person with knowledge not just opinions”
~ Bernardine Evaristo, ‘Girl, Woman, Other’
Read If
You want to enjoy a vibrant novel about the black British female experience, which acknowledges that one voice is never enough.
Buy Now
You can get Girl, Woman, Other via Amazon UK and Amazon US – or why not try listening on Audible?
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Have you read Girl, Woman, Other? Or any of the Booker Prize shortlist novels from 2019? Let me know in the comments – I would love to hear from you!
OffBeatBooks 
This is such a great review! I hadn’t heard of this book prior to reading your review but it sounds so interesting, I think I’ll be adding this to my list 😊
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Great review, I am glad you enjoyed it. I am reading it at the moment and so far enjoying it very much! Agree some of the characters appeal more than others.
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Thank you very much for the kind words! 🥰 Yes, I remember that you had started reading it but were unsure at the start – I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying it now. It would be great to hear which are your favourite characters once you’ve finished! X x x
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