The First Wife: A Tale of Polygamy - Paulina Chiziane, David Brookshaw (Translation)
Unfortunately, many of us women do this. We climb to the top of the mountain, and only when we are in the air do we understand that we do not have wings to fly. We throw ourselves from the top of the sky into a well with no light or background and break our hearts like a porcelain vase.
The First Wife: A Tale of Polygamy is a raw and intimate look at polygamy, written by Mozambique's first published woman - a fact that still has me blinking in disbelief.
What a unique reading experience this was! I still felt culture shock even though I've already been familiar with the concept of "polygamy" as an Asian. The culture shock responded to both content and style, making for both an exciting and challenging read. It is fantastic that this was written and set in the current day and not hundreds of years ago. The place of women in this part of Africa is still subservient and dismissed. She accepts any treatment from her husband; what is she without him? It is her fault if he strays; she didn't work hard enough to keep and entice him. She seemingly has no control over her life.
This is a brave and brutally honest telling. Was it easy to read? Not necessarily. But definitely worth reading.
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