Possessing the Secret of Joy is a difficult book to read, but worth it if you want to be more informed about the horrors that afflict women in many parts of the world, including our own country. The central character, Tashi/Evelyn (she has an American and an African name) underwent female circumcision as an adult because she wanted to belong to her African tribe and be elligible to marry. The horrors resulting from that decision affect the rest of her life--both physically by making it almost impossible to birth her only child and emotionally as is marked by her bouts of insanity.
The story is told through several people's perspective including Tashi's husband, her best friend, her son, her husband's lover (Lisette) and their son. The contrast between Tashi, who's sexuality is erased through her culture's insistence on female mutilation, and Lisette, who's sexuality is celebrated and barely containable, is marked. The fact that Tashi's mutilation affects everyone in her life is significant and powerful. While trying to overcome something she doesn't understand, she is able to affect those around her through her suffering and attempts to make something of her life.
Walker was amazing to take on such a difficult topic...I don't know how she managed to write the pain Tashi must have felt without becoming seriously depressed herself. It was a difficult book to read, I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to write. My only complaint about the book is that at times, the narrative voice slips into a historical/preachy voice that doesn't sound like any of the narrators and made me want to skip forward even though the content of that section was important.
I don't recommend this book to someone who wants a light-hearted read, but if you would like to learn something about female circumcision and why certain cultures continue to practice this horrible crime against women even today, then I do recommend that you pick this book up.
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