by Carmen Oleksinski
Twelve women, twelve stories. At the summer edition of the Women in Transport Book Club, nine members came together to discuss the intriguing set of characters from Bernadine Evaristo’s prize winning novel, Girl Woman Other.
Most of the twelve stories are told by Black British women, yet the range of personalities, ages, geography, sexual orientation, political views that each represents is incredibly varied. To thread together so many voices was an impressive feat but felt seamless and engaging. Collectively, these stories leave a strong impression, and plenty of room for discussion.
Members also enjoyed the boundary pushing nature of the book. Starting on page one, one immediately notices that traditional grammar rules are out the window (that is, unless you listened to the audiobook!). The stories themselves also push the boundaries, with flawed characters making choices that lead to shocking or even uncomfortable plot twists. Overall, the novel asks its readers to contemplate how one’s background, life experience, and privilege influenced their own perspective.
While the topics and questions raised are all quite significant, members also pointed out the lighthearted and fun elements of the novel. The clever way that Evaristo connects the stories - sometimes directly, sometimes tangentially - could sometimes put our heads in a spin. (See this relationship map to get an idea of how it all worked!). We also agreed that we’d gladly attend the play that one of the primary characters, Amma, was putting on at the National Theatre.
If nothing else, Girl Woman Other reminds us that everyone has a story to tell, and it’s not always one you might expect. So never judge a book by its cover!
Thank you to all of the members who attended the summer session! All members are welcome to join the conversation in the autumn session on 21 October 2021, where we will talk about We All Ride Bikes Now, written by our very own WiT member Jo Ward! Register here.
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