| February 2008 |
All work copyright
the owner. No
reproduction
without consent.
the owner. No
reproduction
without consent.
BOOK REVIEWS
The Writing Circle by Rozena Maart
Reviewed by Calgary's Jennie Palmer
Every Friday night in a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa, a group of five female writers gather to discuss
literature and life. The novel begins with the women gathering for the writing circle, but one of the members
is missing. She is being raped at gunpoint in her car, only a few meters away from her friends who await
her arrival.
The Writing Circle begins with the rape of one woman, but the effects of sexual and physical violence on all
five of the women is a common theme throughout the book. After their friend is raped, the members of the
writing circle are forced to confront the many issues of violence and racism that are a very real part of life for
women in South Africa.
The book is told from the perspectives of all the women, with each character narrating two chapters.
Because of this the story can be somewhat convoluted and difficult to keep track of the characters at times.
However, the story is well written and will entertain readers with its murder-mystery feel and surprise
ending. Maart successfully engages readers with her descriptive writing and the charming use of Cape
Townian slang throughout.
While reading the book I continually noticed that all the women were very concerned with safety. They rarely
travelled without a companion, they all used their cell phones to constantly check up on each others
whereabouts, and their brothers, husband or boyfriends picked them up and dropped them off almost
everywhere. I wondered why the women were so worried, but it soon became clear that a woman’s
personal safety is a serious matter in South Africa.
Sexual violence pervades South African society. A BBC article from 2002 states that women born in South
Africa have a greater chance of being raped than of learning how to read. With one of the highest rates of
rape in the world, one in four girls face the prospect of being raped before the age of 16.
Maart was born in Cape Town but now lives in Guelph, Ontario. She witnessed first hand the rampant
sexual abuse against women in South Africa. As a social worker in emergency and gynaecology at a Cape
Town hospital in the late 80’s, she saw cases of rape and sexual assault daily. Since the 80’s she has
dedicated her life’s work to ending violence against women, and her efforts were vindicated in 1987 when
she was nominated for South Africa’s Woman of the Year award.
The Writing Circle is a thought-provoking novel that delves into the lives of normal women who deal with the
threat of sexual assault daily. It serves as a reminder that violence against women knows no boundaries of
class or race, and that the effects of sexual violence on the lives of women are disturbing and profound.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Reviewed by Calgary's Jennie Palmer
After more than two years on the bestsellers list with The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini returns with
another beautiful and poignant novel set in Afghanistan. Unlike The Kite Runner, which was dominated by
male characters, A Thousand Splendid Suns tells of the turmoil and daily struggles encountered by Afghan
women. The novel is set over a thirty-year period during which Afghanistan was subject to numerous wars
and political strife.
The novel begins with a mother telling her 15-year-old daughter that each snowflake is a sigh heaved by an
aggrieved woman. The snowflakes fall silently on the people below “as a reminder of how women like us
suffer… how quietly we endure all that falls upon us.” This piece of advice sets the tone for the rest of the
novel as readers quickly become exposed to the realities of life as an Afghan woman.
Shortly after receiving her mother’s advice, young Mariam is forced to marry a brute named Rasheed. He
rapes and beats her, forces her to wear a burka, and criticizes everything from her cooking to her
appearance. Mariam is completely submissive to him—“after four years of marriage, Mariam saw clearly
how much a woman could tolerate when she was afraid.”
Years later, Rasheed takes a second wife, Laila, who bears two children for the family. The two wives
eventually form a very powerful bond, and this is when the novel truly begins to shine. With each chapter
alternating between the perspectives of Mariam and Laila, the reader experiences a glimpse of what life
may have been like for many Afghan women.
Ultimately the book is a story about women and their relationships to their husbands, children, families,
and other women. The book is also about the many injustices that Afghan women face simply because of
their gender. During the Taliban rule it was illegal for women to show their faces, attend school or work,
speak unless spoken to, or step outside the home unless accompanied by a male relative. Breaking the
rules resulted in severe beatings. In the case of adultery, women were stoned to death at the local stadium
during the half-time break at a soccer match.
“The struggle of Afghan women was simply too compelling, too tragic, and too important… I couldn’t resist
writing about it” Hosseini wrote on his blog. During a visit to his homeland in 2003 he spoke to women
about what they had witnessed over the past three decades. “I saw for myself, for the first time, the enormity
of the suffering that these women had endured. And I came away humbled by [their] fight.” The book is his
tribute to Afghan women who have remained resilient in the face of incredible hardship.
As a woman who has never experienced war or violence, this book made me feel incredibly lucky to be
Canadian. Aside from being a deeply moving and remarkable story, it reminded me how good life is here. If
you’re in for an eye-opening, emotionally challenging but rewarding novel, pick up A Thousand Splendid
Suns and journey into a world very different from our own…
Jennie co-hosts the feminist program Yeah… What She Said on CJSW 90.9fm Mondays at 8:30 pm
(Mountain). You can listen in at cjsw.com.
The Writing Circle by Rozena Maart
Reviewed by Calgary's Jennie Palmer
Every Friday night in a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa, a group of five female writers gather to discuss
literature and life. The novel begins with the women gathering for the writing circle, but one of the members
is missing. She is being raped at gunpoint in her car, only a few meters away from her friends who await
her arrival.
The Writing Circle begins with the rape of one woman, but the effects of sexual and physical violence on all
five of the women is a common theme throughout the book. After their friend is raped, the members of the
writing circle are forced to confront the many issues of violence and racism that are a very real part of life for
women in South Africa.
The book is told from the perspectives of all the women, with each character narrating two chapters.
Because of this the story can be somewhat convoluted and difficult to keep track of the characters at times.
However, the story is well written and will entertain readers with its murder-mystery feel and surprise
ending. Maart successfully engages readers with her descriptive writing and the charming use of Cape
Townian slang throughout.
While reading the book I continually noticed that all the women were very concerned with safety. They rarely
travelled without a companion, they all used their cell phones to constantly check up on each others
whereabouts, and their brothers, husband or boyfriends picked them up and dropped them off almost
everywhere. I wondered why the women were so worried, but it soon became clear that a woman’s
personal safety is a serious matter in South Africa.
Sexual violence pervades South African society. A BBC article from 2002 states that women born in South
Africa have a greater chance of being raped than of learning how to read. With one of the highest rates of
rape in the world, one in four girls face the prospect of being raped before the age of 16.
Maart was born in Cape Town but now lives in Guelph, Ontario. She witnessed first hand the rampant
sexual abuse against women in South Africa. As a social worker in emergency and gynaecology at a Cape
Town hospital in the late 80’s, she saw cases of rape and sexual assault daily. Since the 80’s she has
dedicated her life’s work to ending violence against women, and her efforts were vindicated in 1987 when
she was nominated for South Africa’s Woman of the Year award.
The Writing Circle is a thought-provoking novel that delves into the lives of normal women who deal with the
threat of sexual assault daily. It serves as a reminder that violence against women knows no boundaries of
class or race, and that the effects of sexual violence on the lives of women are disturbing and profound.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Reviewed by Calgary's Jennie Palmer
After more than two years on the bestsellers list with The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini returns with
another beautiful and poignant novel set in Afghanistan. Unlike The Kite Runner, which was dominated by
male characters, A Thousand Splendid Suns tells of the turmoil and daily struggles encountered by Afghan
women. The novel is set over a thirty-year period during which Afghanistan was subject to numerous wars
and political strife.
The novel begins with a mother telling her 15-year-old daughter that each snowflake is a sigh heaved by an
aggrieved woman. The snowflakes fall silently on the people below “as a reminder of how women like us
suffer… how quietly we endure all that falls upon us.” This piece of advice sets the tone for the rest of the
novel as readers quickly become exposed to the realities of life as an Afghan woman.
Shortly after receiving her mother’s advice, young Mariam is forced to marry a brute named Rasheed. He
rapes and beats her, forces her to wear a burka, and criticizes everything from her cooking to her
appearance. Mariam is completely submissive to him—“after four years of marriage, Mariam saw clearly
how much a woman could tolerate when she was afraid.”
Years later, Rasheed takes a second wife, Laila, who bears two children for the family. The two wives
eventually form a very powerful bond, and this is when the novel truly begins to shine. With each chapter
alternating between the perspectives of Mariam and Laila, the reader experiences a glimpse of what life
may have been like for many Afghan women.
Ultimately the book is a story about women and their relationships to their husbands, children, families,
and other women. The book is also about the many injustices that Afghan women face simply because of
their gender. During the Taliban rule it was illegal for women to show their faces, attend school or work,
speak unless spoken to, or step outside the home unless accompanied by a male relative. Breaking the
rules resulted in severe beatings. In the case of adultery, women were stoned to death at the local stadium
during the half-time break at a soccer match.
“The struggle of Afghan women was simply too compelling, too tragic, and too important… I couldn’t resist
writing about it” Hosseini wrote on his blog. During a visit to his homeland in 2003 he spoke to women
about what they had witnessed over the past three decades. “I saw for myself, for the first time, the enormity
of the suffering that these women had endured. And I came away humbled by [their] fight.” The book is his
tribute to Afghan women who have remained resilient in the face of incredible hardship.
As a woman who has never experienced war or violence, this book made me feel incredibly lucky to be
Canadian. Aside from being a deeply moving and remarkable story, it reminded me how good life is here. If
you’re in for an eye-opening, emotionally challenging but rewarding novel, pick up A Thousand Splendid
Suns and journey into a world very different from our own…
Jennie co-hosts the feminist program Yeah… What She Said on CJSW 90.9fm Mondays at 8:30 pm
(Mountain). You can listen in at cjsw.com.
Eleventh Transmission is Calgary's
arts, culture, media, and activism
magazine. We feature the work of
emerging and established writers and
artists from Calgary and beyond.
Eleventh Transmission believes that
art involves awareness and
connection -- to the community, and to
what goes on in the world at large. We
have a special interest in work that is
socially engaged.
New issues debut the first Monday of
every month. Next issue March 3.
If you like the magazine, or any
content in particular, please take a few
moments to share the link with your
friends.
Feel free to join our Mailing list or our
Facebook group.
arts, culture, media, and activism
magazine. We feature the work of
emerging and established writers and
artists from Calgary and beyond.
Eleventh Transmission believes that
art involves awareness and
connection -- to the community, and to
what goes on in the world at large. We
have a special interest in work that is
socially engaged.
New issues debut the first Monday of
every month. Next issue March 3.
If you like the magazine, or any
content in particular, please take a few
moments to share the link with your
friends.
Feel free to join our Mailing list or our
Facebook group.