Une Si Longue Lettre

from annecheryl

An epistolary novel, 'written' by a first wife to her friend, giving an account of her husband's taking of a second young wife and its consequences for the writer. Very moving and insightful. It deals with the so-called liberation of women in a newly independent Senegal, and also with the traditi...

from TiffanyAK

This is definitely a riveting account of cultural traditions and perceptions in a land very different from our own. Essentially, it is a fictional novel written as a set of letters from one woman to another, outlining the experiences, feelings, and troubles that each are facing. I personally foun...

from astrologerjenny

This is a small, poignant novel from Senegal, in the form of a letter from one woman to another, an old friend. It roams through love, marriage, family life, and the particular problems of a polygamous society. The writer is restrained and dignified, but her feelings emerge clearly.

from banjo123

[So Long a Letter] by [[Mariama Ba]] is a short epistalory novel written in French by a Sengalese author. It is written from a recent widow to a dear friend and gives a review of their lives. Both women are struggling with the issues of polygamy in this Muslim country, as both husbands had taken ...

from TadAD

Mariama Bâ's first novel is a short but extremely powerful look at the inequality between men and women in Senegalese society. It is couched as letter from a recent widow, Ramatoulaye, to her best friend, the divorcée Assiatou, in which the author examines their respective marriages. Though both ...