Book Review: So Long a Letter

 So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba

So Long a Letter was beautifully written by Mariama Ba and it was published in 1980. Originally, it was written in French and a year later, it was translated into English Language.

This novel portrays a protagonist character named Ramatoulaye. She earns money by teaching the school children. She has been married to her husband, Modou for twenty-five years and bore twelve children. However, after 25 years of marriage, her husband drastically decided to marry a young and beautiful girl named Binetou. Before her husband dies five years later, she lives in agony. She needs to endure her pain alone; taking care of the household. She recounts all of these events and her marriage dilemma to her friend, Aissatou in letters throughout her mourning period.

To resume, Ramatoulaye’s tribulation begins when her husband, Modou marries a young girl named Binetou. This event gives her great pain because the girl whom her husband marries is her daughter’s friend, Daba. After her husband ties the knot, he fails to run his responsibilities towards his family. She takes over all of her husband former duties such as paying the electricity bills and water rates.

Whenever she needs to escape herself from her hectic life, doing all the chores, she hits the town to watch a movie. At first, the people are staring at her as the look questioning what a middle-aged lady does in the town without a companion. As the months passed by, she finally can defeat the feeling of discomfort while she is in the public space. 

Besides that, her children become wild and uncontrollable that put her in a great concern. She needs to give her attention in order to supervise her children. Again, she does this all by herself without the help of her husband. It can be seen where she sees her trio (Arame, Yacine, and Dieynaba) smoke in their room. Upon seeing this occasion, she feels frustrated and betrayed and thinks that she fails as a mother. To put herself in a great pain, she later founds her daughter, Aissatou gets pregnant out of wedlock. It takes sometimes for her to process the event that is happening to her daughter. Eventually, she realises that her daughter needs her support and because of her motherhood nature she forgives her and tries to make things right again. 

With the anguish that she endures, she is blessed with the brilliant children and a faithful friend. They are her source of strength. Indeed, the deformities that occur in her life formed a stronger version of her and she proves it by forgiving her late husband. And, she has faith that the time will cure her agony.