So Long A Letter

The AWS Classics is a brand-new Heinemann series which offers a selection of the best-known works of African literature originally published in the African Writes Series. With new introductions written for each title in the series, these classic novels are a must-read for anyone interested in African Literature.

So Long a Letter is a sequence of reminiscences – some wistful, some bitter – recounted by Senegalese school teacher Ramatoulaye, who has recently been widowed. The letter, addressed to a friend, is a record of Ramatoulaye’s emotional struggle for survival after her husband’s abrupt decision to take a second wife. The novel is a perceptive testimony to the plight of those articulate women who live in social milieux dominated by attitudes and values that deny their proper place.