The Girl Child by D. Be. Dubois #BookReview

I was intrigued by Rubina’s description of this book. She said that it had a very strong voice and needed to be heard. After having read the book I could not agree more. The author does have a very strong Voice. She is not afraid to put out her opinions and bring them to the world. Right from the word go, there is no doubt who’s side she is on. She’s rooting for the female all the way.

This book is not plot heavy. Where is the loose storyline about the protagonists’ relationships with her mother, her grandmother, her friends and their relationships in turn with other women. Most of the book is the author’s observation on these relationships and the society in general.

I like the fact that this book is not just a collection of opinions and observations. The story line running through makes it interesting. Each woman in this book has a story to tell. Each story is different and has its share of ups and downs. It is through the stories that the author explains the different struggles that different women go through. Each story is relatable; at least partly if not in entirety.

I love the way the author has written out the stories. We get an outsider’s view in and then an insider’s view as well. Reading this book made me stop and think how many times I was being judgemental without knowing it. Unless we know the complete truth or the perspective of someone who has lived through a situation, we can’t really judge their actions.

The only thing I would say I did not like is the way everything sorts itself out miraculously. The conflicts that exist in some of the relationships are brought up so often but when the characters start to communicate, the resolution is almost instantaneous. One would think that when issues have festered for decades, it will take longer than a few minutes’ conversation to sort them out. I mean, if it really was that simple to end all conflicts and all parties were so keen to end them, why hadn’t it been attempted before?

There are hardly any male characters of significance in this book. The few who make an appearance are one dimensional and not layered at all. The female characters on the other hand, are complex and the author peels back layers to reveal something new till almost the last page. This singular fact kept me going with the book, making me re-read some passages and stopping to think about what I’d written. I completely agree it is a very strong voice and needs to be heard. I may not agree with everything that the author is trying to say, but I definitely did get fresh perspectives. So, it did open my mind a lot.