The First Woman
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- Create Date：2021-08-01 07:51:32
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
- ISBN：1786078589
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Summary
In her twelfth year， Kirabo， a young Ugandan girl， confronts a piercing question that has haunted her childhood: who is my mother？ Kirabo has been raised by women in the small village of Nattetta—her grandmother， her best friend， and her many aunts， but the absence of her mother follows her like a shadow。 Complicating these feelings of abandonment， as Kirabo comes of age she feels the emergence of a mysterious second self， a headstrong and confusing force inside her at odds with her sweet and obedient nature。
Seeking answers， Kirabo begins spending afternoons with Nsuuta， a local witch， trading stories and learning not only about this force inside her， but about the woman who birthed her， who she learns is alive but not ready to meet。 Nsuuta also explains that Kirabo has a streak of the “first woman”—an independent， original state that has been all but lost to women。 Kirabo’s journey to reconcile her rebellious origins， alongside her desire to reconnect with her mother and to honor her family’s expectations， is rich in the folklore of Uganda and an arresting exploration of what it means to be a modern girl in a world that seems determined to silence women。 Makumbi’s unforgettable novel is a sweeping testament to the true and lasting connections between history， tradition， family， friends， and the promise of a different future。
Seeking answers， Kirabo begins spending afternoons with Nsuuta， a local witch， trading stories and learning not only about this force inside her， but about the woman who birthed her， who she learns is alive but not ready to meet。 Nsuuta also explains that Kirabo has a streak of the “first woman”—an independent， original state that has been all but lost to women。 Kirabo’s journey to reconcile her rebellious origins， alongside her desire to reconnect with her mother and to honor her family’s expectations， is rich in the folklore of Uganda and an arresting exploration of what it means to be a modern girl in a world that seems determined to silence women。 Makumbi’s unforgettable novel is a sweeping testament to the true and lasting connections between history， tradition， family， friends， and the promise of a different future。
Reviews
Kate Snewin
，
I found Kirabo such an engaging character to follow and grow with。 The cultural details were so interesting and how feminism is woven in。 The relationship between Nsutta and Kirabo was the most interesting to me。 I found it a little long， in that it could have been cut down but I found myself wanting to read it and find out what happened。
Patricia Coloma
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What a wonderful book！ It reminded me about Toni Morrison’s Sula… “ But only a woman knows how to love a woman properly “ （539）。
Alison
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I did have a bit of a hard time keeping track of who was who as most names began with a double n but a solid read。
Star
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**4。5-5 stars**Epic， trans-generational story depict the rite of passage into adulthood set in rural Uganda spanning the period from mid 1930's through to mid 1980's 。The book told of the changes that swept Uganda around the time it gained independence in 1960's and focused on the years when Idi Amin was in power。 Rich in history， Uganda is a conglomerate of tribes and indigenous group with history of conflicts， abduction and slavery。 The tribe and its sub-group of clans are central to Ugandan i **4。5-5 stars**Epic， trans-generational story depict the rite of passage into adulthood set in rural Uganda spanning the period from mid 1930's through to mid 1980's 。The book told of the changes that swept Uganda around the time it gained independence in 1960's and focused on the years when Idi Amin was in power。 Rich in history， Uganda is a conglomerate of tribes and indigenous group with history of conflicts， abduction and slavery。 The tribe and its sub-group of clans are central to Ugandan identity。Under the protectorate of the British Empire - the more educated Ugandan became more Westernised。 Religion played a role in reshaping the value-set， and the Church was used as a tool of colonisation。 Urban living， together with modern conveniences replaced the social status of owning and living off the land。After the military coup， the 'Africanisation' Policy resulted in the expulsion of Asians & foreigners in 1970's which resulted in economic collapse。 Under the regime， there was social disintegration， economic downturn and massive human rights violations。 The book also covered the period of time during the Uganda-Tanzania War of the late 1970's。The central story was to do with life as a woman in a country that is so deeply entrenched in the patriarchal values， which defined the role of women as property or migrants - never having the right to land， assets or even to their own children。A sweeping story of love， friendship， identity and a coming of age （perhaps symbolised in the reference to the Kadodi ritual） - I was totally enthralled。Thanks to Jellybooks to the author for giving me the opportunity to review this amazing book。 。。。more
Karen
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Slow start but lovely story。 Listened to it on Audible， great characters。
Lucy Walker
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Bibliotherapy - School of Life "Prescription" Bibliotherapy - School of Life "Prescription" 。。。more
Claire
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Though I tried my best to make myself care about the characters， I found the prose too sparse and lacking in descriptive language to empathize with them or to imagine the people or the spaces they inhabited。 At times Ugandan names for people or objects ate introduced in a way that implies that they are meaningful， yet no contextual explanation of what they actually are is given， which makes the prose feel barren and meaningless to a non-Ugandan reader。 I finally gave up after a five chapter slog Though I tried my best to make myself care about the characters， I found the prose too sparse and lacking in descriptive language to empathize with them or to imagine the people or the spaces they inhabited。 At times Ugandan names for people or objects ate introduced in a way that implies that they are meaningful， yet no contextual explanation of what they actually are is given， which makes the prose feel barren and meaningless to a non-Ugandan reader。 I finally gave up after a five chapter slog in which I feel I learned virtually nothing about anyone or anything in the story。 。。。more
Jennifer
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This is an excellent book。 Gripping from the very first page。 I love it when folklore is interwoven into a story。 This book does so beautifully。 At times， I felt the socio-political messaging was a bit too on the nose， and pulled me out of the story。 And I felt the ending to be overly sentimental。
Maureen
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4。5？ A tiny bit slow at the start， but overall a great read。 I liked the commentaries on femininity and motherhood。 It was also great to read a novel from Uganda as I feel like I only ever read Nigerian authors
* * SuzAnNe * *
，
Dit tweede boek van Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi （Kampala） is een tijdloze klassieker。 Op humoristische wijze snijdt Kampala het thema feminisme aan， in een veranderend Oeganda。 Het verhaal， waarin Kirabo de hoofdrol speelt， is geïnspireerd door een Oegandese volksmythe。 Ik vond het heel leuk om zo kennis te maken met een stukje cultureel erfgoed van Oeganda。 Kirabo groeit op bij haar grootouders op het platteland van Oeganda。 Kirabo heeft vele vrouwen om zich heen die ieder hun stempel zetten op Dit tweede boek van Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi （Kampala） is een tijdloze klassieker。 Op humoristische wijze snijdt Kampala het thema feminisme aan， in een veranderend Oeganda。 Het verhaal， waarin Kirabo de hoofdrol speelt， is geïnspireerd door een Oegandese volksmythe。 Ik vond het heel leuk om zo kennis te maken met een stukje cultureel erfgoed van Oeganda。 Kirabo groeit op bij haar grootouders op het platteland van Oeganda。 Kirabo heeft vele vrouwen om zich heen die ieder hun stempel zetten op haar ontwikkeling。 De grootste rollen hierin zijn weggelegd voor haar oma， tantes， een 'dorpsheks' die ze diep van binnen bewonderd en voor haar beste vriendin。 Toch is er één groot gemis: haar moeder， die ze nooit heeft gekend。 Kirabo stelt vragen en gaat op zoek naar antwoorden over haar ontstaan， haar moeder en familiebanden。 Haar nieuwsgierigheid wordt niet op prijs gesteld en als de vrouwen het niet meer in de hand hebben， moet Kirabo verhuizen van het platteland naar de stad。 Haar geliefde dorp en grootouders moet ze achterlaten en ze wordt gesommeerd mee te gaan met haar vader ， naar Kampala; de grote stad。 Ze kent haar vader weliswaar， maar heeft geen echte band met hem op kunnen bouwen。 Desondanks bewondert ze hem。 Kirabo leert in de hoofdstad een heel ander leven kennen。 Haar nieuwsgierigheid wordt opnieuw aangewakkerd。 Ze zet haar zoektocht voort in een land dat onzekere en gewelddadige tijden doormaakt。 。。。more
Liath
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3，5*
Esther
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I liked the multi-generational span of this book， and the weaving of so many female voices and experiences together。 What does it mean to be a feminist at this time， in this context， or at any time， in any context？ I found a lot to think about here。 I particularly enjoyed just how much mythology and introduction to Ganda culture was woven into the book through the guise of mentoring young Kirabo into her coming-of-age。 We get to grow and learn right along with her。
Bell Khalo
，
Oh my word！ Have you ever finished a book and knew immediately that you are going to be rereading it in your 20's（again）， 30's， 40's 。。。just the rest of your life？ That is exactly how I feel about this book。 I am currently reading and watching all the reviews that I can find because there is so much to discuss in this book。 READ THIS BOOK， PLEASE！A famous Toni Morrison quote can be used to summarise this book:"You know， they straightened out the Mississippi River in places to make room for house Oh my word！ Have you ever finished a book and knew immediately that you are going to be rereading it in your 20's（again）， 30's， 40's 。。。just the rest of your life？ That is exactly how I feel about this book。 I am currently reading and watching all the reviews that I can find because there is so much to discuss in this book。 READ THIS BOOK， PLEASE！A famous Toni Morrison quote can be used to summarise this book:"You know， they straightened out the Mississippi River in places to make room for houses & liveable acreage。 Occasionally the river floods these places。 ‘Floods’ is the word they use， but in fact it is not flooding; it is remembering。 Remembering where it used to be。 All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was。 Writers are like that… Like water， I remember where I was before I was straightened out。"-Toni MorrisonRead it today！ 。。。more
Nanditha
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When I started reading this book， it didn't immediately suck me in。 It also had a lot of Lugandan phrases without translations which felt a bit trying as well。 But Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi's talent and storytelling got me hooked slowly but surely to this story of a young girl in Uganda， trying to figure out who she is and what the world around her is like。"The First Woman" is remarkable for a few reasons。 It beautifully intertwines folklore and modernity， tackles complex issues like patriarchy When I started reading this book， it didn't immediately suck me in。 It also had a lot of Lugandan phrases without translations which felt a bit trying as well。 But Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi's talent and storytelling got me hooked slowly but surely to this story of a young girl in Uganda， trying to figure out who she is and what the world around her is like。"The First Woman" is remarkable for a few reasons。 It beautifully intertwines folklore and modernity， tackles complex issues like patriarchy and agency， as well as helps us taste the Ugandan soil where the protagonist is growing up。 It is also a story of many women， some radical， some feminist， some wild， some tame， and some patriarchal。 It is as unapologetic as an author can get when trying to encapsulate different kinds of women around us。 For anybody who wants to know more about African literature， brilliant Black women writers， or for those who love reading a book with smart storytelling （which manages to keep us hooked through different timelines and doesn't rely heavily on chapter titles）， this book is a clear winner。 I am so glad Nansubuga Makumbi is an author I came across。 。。。more
Swathi
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This book had all my favourite topics bundled into a huge treasure box of words。 Kirabo is raised by her grandparents in Uganda's Nattetta。 She's on a constant quest to find her mother while her father works in the city。 But that's not all。 The book covers a range of areas from Kirabo when she's a girl to the time she turns into a woman。 One of the most powerful expression the book explores is how women are the biggest gatekeepers of other women's ambitions because they were all raised to revere This book had all my favourite topics bundled into a huge treasure box of words。 Kirabo is raised by her grandparents in Uganda's Nattetta。 She's on a constant quest to find her mother while her father works in the city。 But that's not all。 The book covers a range of areas from Kirabo when she's a girl to the time she turns into a woman。 One of the most powerful expression the book explores is how women are the biggest gatekeepers of other women's ambitions because they were all raised to revere and uphold patriarchal values themselves。 Women prevent other women from growing， from breaking free from the clutches of patriarchy。 Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi talks about jealous friendships， strict school experiences， stricter home surroundings， cheating husbands and wives who accept that， husbands who don't accept wives who already have children from a different relationship， schools that throw pregnant girls out， political leaders like Idi Amin whose decisions play a strong role in how women saw themselves， and most of all， marriages in which women owned nothing。 Not even their own bodies， or their own children。 She does all this deftly while describing experiences and letting us soak in the patriarchal values and culture of Uganda。 I learnt about mwenkanonkano， the Ugandan feminist movement （which was in existence wayyyy before any of the western or white feminist movements came into effect） and a lot of Luganda words too。 The best part about her writing is that the writer doesn't offer meanings， explanations or footnotes for the Luganda words in the book。 Like she says "I don't write for a Western audience。 If I can understand Shakespeare， you can understand me。" As a writer， I've taken this valuable lesson from her in the last couple of years and incorporated it everywhere。 Reading this book is an experience。 I cried in parts。 It made me angry， and it also helped me examine my own limitations as a woman in this world。 It made me feel less alone。 Please read this book， and if possible， every other book she has written。 Pasting a few powerful quotes from the book: ‘A girl uneducated is an oppressed wife in the making。’"Father then told me I now belonged to Miiro and his family， including my dead body when I die。 That was when I remembered the real truth about marriage and cried。 All the worry about not marrying， then the beautiful rituals can mask the truth and you forget that you are crossing into another clan， into another world and you don’t own yourself。" ‘Water has no shape， it can be this， it can be that， depending on where it flows。 The sea is inconstant， it cannot be tamed， it does not yield to human cultivation， it cannot be owned; you cannot draw borders on the ocean。 To the ancients， women belonged with the sea like in marriage。’ 'Girls had reduced themselves to their vaginas， to objects for male consumption。 They had turned on one another over a boy who visited the school once a month， a cheater at that。 If they could turn on each other in a community designed for their safety and emancipation， what chances did mwenkanonkano have out there in the world？ The nuns might have removed any male influence within the school gates， but by the time the girls arrived， the shrinking herb had already been sewn into their skins。'‘Nothing takes the sting out of a woman like marriage。 And when children arrive， the window closes。 Wife， mother， age， and role model – the “respect” that comes with these roles is the water they pour on your fire。’I knew Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi as the winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize， which was one of the main reasons I picked this book up。 Now I also plan to read Kintu。 Dear writer， thank you SO much for writing this book。 :） 。。。more
Charlotte Sullivan
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Phenomenal
mewilec
，
FULL BOOK REVIEWReading this book not only reminded me that feminism manifests itself in numerous ways， but it reminded me that the struggle to achieve true equality between the sexes is continuously sought after and just as fiercely thwarted。PLOT The story starts off with Kirabo entering her "12th year"。 She is trying to tell a story to her teenaged siblings - most of which she isn't even sure she is related to as her grandparents tend to take in children - but nobody is willing until her grand FULL BOOK REVIEWReading this book not only reminded me that feminism manifests itself in numerous ways， but it reminded me that the struggle to achieve true equality between the sexes is continuously sought after and just as fiercely thwarted。PLOT The story starts off with Kirabo entering her "12th year"。 She is trying to tell a story to her teenaged siblings - most of which she isn't even sure she is related to as her grandparents tend to take in children - but nobody is willing until her grandfather instructs them to。 In the end， everyone listens and is enraptured by her story， although they are unwilling to admit it。 When， despite being able to deny the excellence of Kirabo's story， nobody congratulates her she cries for the mother who abandoned her as an infant。 As the story progresses， we learn that Kirabo has "two selves" the good one who listens go instructions and the evil one who flies out of her body when she is angry and who does as she pleases。 This state of affairs results in Kirabo believing that she is a witch。 But she doesn't want to be one。 As such， she goes to Nsuuta - the village witch and her grandmother's arch enemy - in order to purge herself of her other self and remain completely good。 From there on， Kirabo learns a lot about what it means to be a woman in mid 20th century Uganda - where so many cultural practices are out of touch with the present needs of Ugandans and are doing more harm then good to those most vulnerable in the state。 Coupled with Kirabo's yearning for her mother - despite the ample love she receives at home - and the fight to dismantle the internalised misogyny that so permeates her society and you have got an incredible story a girl learning to love herself and other women despite being told （time and time again） that their wishes and dreams make them witches。 I had no idea what this book would be when I first started reading it and I must admit that in the first few chapters I still didn't。 The plot direction was a bit hazy in the beginning。 I wasn't sure if Makumbi's focus was on how the stories （both literally and figuratively） of young girls are continuously ignored and how Kirabo （the main character） would change that。 OR if the story would just be about Kirabo's attempt to find herself in a super patriarchal society。 In the end， "A Girl is a Body of Water" ended up being a little bit of both and so much more。 I found the overall plot incredibly compelling。 Jennifer did an extraordinary job of crafting a many-layered story。 I found the story incredibly engrossing - albeit a bit confusing at times。 WRITING Immaculate。 The writing was immaculate。 The author sprinkled a bunch of Ugandan proverbs， parables， phrases， outbursts and so and in so forth in the story that helped me imagine myself in the country。 Even though her world building skills are a bit lacklustre， the way in which the character experienced certain places - her village of Nattetta versus the bustle of Kamapala; the vague quite of Old Kampala a opposed to the austerity that was still unable to contain the wild girlhood of St。 Theresa - helped me visualise them。 。。。more
Eighmey
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Being very open and honest， this book was hard for me to keep reading。 There were a lot of characters， but the barrier was reading a fiction book written in a non-Western literary style。 As well as my lack of knowledge of East African colonial and independence history。 I just found myself so lost， ashamedly unknowing， and making mental notes of things to research。However， as I kept going this book is a beautiful coming of age story。 It is a beautiful story about the strength that women possess i Being very open and honest， this book was hard for me to keep reading。 There were a lot of characters， but the barrier was reading a fiction book written in a non-Western literary style。 As well as my lack of knowledge of East African colonial and independence history。 I just found myself so lost， ashamedly unknowing， and making mental notes of things to research。However， as I kept going this book is a beautiful coming of age story。 It is a beautiful story about the strength that women possess in a patriarchal society。 And about how women are often the harshest group on our own sex。 I highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Alexia
，
This was a really powerful novel exploring Ugandan feminism—the quiet ways in which women develop political subjectivities， ethical obligations to one another， notions of friendship and kinship， and struggle against patriarchy within their clans and nations。 It is all told through the story of Kirabo’s upbringing， the women who influence her （for better or worse）， and the men who see and respect her or get in the way of her development。 The story warns against internalized sexism， colonization， This was a really powerful novel exploring Ugandan feminism—the quiet ways in which women develop political subjectivities， ethical obligations to one another， notions of friendship and kinship， and struggle against patriarchy within their clans and nations。 It is all told through the story of Kirabo’s upbringing， the women who influence her （for better or worse）， and the men who see and respect her or get in the way of her development。 The story warns against internalized sexism， colonization， and the ways that women turn against each-other。 Ultimately， though， it offers a hopeful narrative of healing and repair。 Content warnings: loss of a parent; mentions of war， forced disappearances， rape （not depicted in the novel）; sexism and body shame 。。。more
Jo
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MWENKANONKANOAn epic tale of Ugandan life from a feminist POV told by the 12 year old narrator Kirabo。 The European title refers to the ambition of head， sister Ambrose， for one of her students to become the first female president of Uganda。 It is a recurring theme in a book which has many， and the author both shows and tells。 Historically the reader is shown the effect of colonialism and Christianity， the war with Tanzania， idi Amin and land ownership。 White feminism is contrasted with indigeno MWENKANONKANOAn epic tale of Ugandan life from a feminist POV told by the 12 year old narrator Kirabo。 The European title refers to the ambition of head， sister Ambrose， for one of her students to become the first female president of Uganda。 It is a recurring theme in a book which has many， and the author both shows and tells。 Historically the reader is shown the effect of colonialism and Christianity， the war with Tanzania， idi Amin and land ownership。 White feminism is contrasted with indigenous African feminism and we see how the women survive in a patriarchal society。 Sexuality is a theme throughout and issues such as genital mutilation are dealt with。 Mythology works well to tell female stories as does an epistolary device between the two women。 Class and the town v country theme are explored。 Male characters are developed reasonably well - Tom， Sio and grandfather。 I enjoyed the education aspect and would have liked more of the ‘social experiment’ that Kirabo is part of。 The school has a marked home v career ethos with the latter being seen as preferable。 Issues such as menstruation and pregnancy also feature。 Women attack other women rather than the man who has caused the problem and mothering is shown as fluid。 I won’t forget the joyful scene in the heavy rain - this would make a good film or series。 I would give it 4。5 as I think some more editing could be done and a list of all the characters at the start would be helpful。 Although it is long the novel moves along swiftly and I would nominate it for a group。 。。。more
Yarub Khayat
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اسم الرواية في الطبعة البريطانيةThe First Women ！！！
Pauline [paulineisreading]
，
THE FIRST WOMAN （also known as A Girl is a Body of Water） is the latest novel by JENNIFER NANSUBUGA MAKUMBI。It’s a fiercely feminist epic that tells the story of Kirabo， a girl coming of age in 1970s Uganda， along with the other female figures in Kirabo’s life。 Born into a large patriarchal family in rural Nattetta， Kirabo grew up without a mother and feels the lack of her presence very strongly。 She’s instead raised by her grandparents， her aunts and the local ‘village witch’ - most of whom we THE FIRST WOMAN （also known as A Girl is a Body of Water） is the latest novel by JENNIFER NANSUBUGA MAKUMBI。It’s a fiercely feminist epic that tells the story of Kirabo， a girl coming of age in 1970s Uganda， along with the other female figures in Kirabo’s life。 Born into a large patriarchal family in rural Nattetta， Kirabo grew up without a mother and feels the lack of her presence very strongly。 She’s instead raised by her grandparents， her aunts and the local ‘village witch’ - most of whom we come to know more about as the story unfolds - until she’s asked to live with her father and stepfamily in the city。 Other than the implication of political turmoil under Idi Amin’s regime at the time， another strong theme that stood out is how feminism， or mwenkanonkano （term for Indigenous Ugandan feminist movement）， links back to every event that takes place in the book。Makumbi’s storytelling is strong and is sure to reel readers in once they’ve settled into the rhythm。 The density of the writing can make this one an intimidating read as it does require a good amount of concentration， but it’ll be well worth your time if you’re looking for an immersive story that’s rich and packed with details。 In saying that， i did find the last part faltered somewhat as it got to the point where it almost dragged and perhaps required a tighter edit， but it’s still otherwise a strong work that is very much worth picking up。 There is just something about stories set in Africa that i find really compelling， but while i’ve read a fair amount of works from Nigerian writers， Makumbi’s was the first Ugandan novel i picked up and feel like it was a great place to start。For fans of Yaa Gyasi， Abi Daré and Peace Adzo Medie， give this one a go when you’re in the mood for a story that you can lose yourself into。 。。。more
Natasha Matushevskaya
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a beautiful tale of a girl's coming of age， delicate and humorous， but boldly raising problems so universal （call it feminism or mwenkanonkano）， that a story of a Ugandan girl seems all but too familiar to a reader from Eastern Europe。 the best introduction to modern African literature for me a beautiful tale of a girl's coming of age， delicate and humorous， but boldly raising problems so universal （call it feminism or mwenkanonkano）， that a story of a Ugandan girl seems all but too familiar to a reader from Eastern Europe。 the best introduction to modern African literature for me 。。。more
Katykropf
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read during summer Michigan trip。 complex cultural patriarchal， clan dynamics around women/girls periods “ruins” - aka vaginas
Rachel England-Brassy
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This is a 5 star saga。 I’m breathless from reading it。Highly recommended over and over again。
Elise
，
an absolutely beautiful book about what it means to be a girl， a woman， a mother， a daughter， an aunt， a grandmother， a loverhighly recommend
Suzanne Brink
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Fantastisch groots verhaal over vriendschappen en familiebanden tussen vrouwen， wat ze aan elkaar kunnen hebben en wat ze elkaar aandoen。 Dat vrouwen harder moeten vechten om te worden wat ze willen， komt ook doordat ze elkaar de maat nemen。 Giftige tongen zorgen dat mensen buitengesloten worden。 Hoofdpersoon Kirabo heeft het geluk maar liefst twee wijze grootmoeders in haar leven te hebben。 Verhaal speelt in Oeganda， ondertussen lees je over tradities en gebruiken。 Fraaie observaties over de ve Fantastisch groots verhaal over vriendschappen en familiebanden tussen vrouwen， wat ze aan elkaar kunnen hebben en wat ze elkaar aandoen。 Dat vrouwen harder moeten vechten om te worden wat ze willen， komt ook doordat ze elkaar de maat nemen。 Giftige tongen zorgen dat mensen buitengesloten worden。 Hoofdpersoon Kirabo heeft het geluk maar liefst twee wijze grootmoeders in haar leven te hebben。 Verhaal speelt in Oeganda， ondertussen lees je over tradities en gebruiken。 Fraaie observaties over de verschillen tussen rijkdom in de stad en rijkdom op het platteland。 In de stad is rijkdom dat je elektriciteit en een auto hebt， stadse rijkdom past in een busje， op het platteland zit de rijkdom in je land en je dieren。 Boek is een hele reis door levens in een andere cultuur， waarin toch dezelfde zaken spelen。 En passant pleidooi voor bloot in de regen dansen ;-） 。。。more
Stephanie Al-Adhami
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The book did not get captivating until around page 300。 The story did not need over 500 pages to be told in my opinion。
Lisa
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Reading this novel while I was in Uganda helped me to appreciate the author’s ability to create a sense of place。 I learned about some of the traditions， myths， and foods that she included within the story and she described locations as I viewed them。 I’m not usually interested in coming of age stories but it was an effective device for telling the turbulent history of the country， as the protagonist grew and developed along with the country。 Themes including colorism， colonialism， classism， pat Reading this novel while I was in Uganda helped me to appreciate the author’s ability to create a sense of place。 I learned about some of the traditions， myths， and foods that she included within the story and she described locations as I viewed them。 I’m not usually interested in coming of age stories but it was an effective device for telling the turbulent history of the country， as the protagonist grew and developed along with the country。 Themes including colorism， colonialism， classism， patriarchy， and feminism were developed with character struggles and experienced differently for each according to their stations in life。 。。。more
Ilana
，
4，5
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The First Woman
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The First Woman&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The First Woman&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0