my top reads of 2020
Some of these crept into 2021 because let’s face it keeping a baby occupied in lockdown (which made up the majority of our year) was tough, tough, tough - BUT although the list is short, there were some beauties which I simply have to mention.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
We should all be feminists
Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche.
This little book is a feminist call to arms. Adapted from a TEDx talk delivered in 2012, the author briefly describes her personal experiences growing up and touches on the various ways women were and still are being discriminated against today. Her life experiences culminated in her self-acceptance that she herself was a feminist, yet once she defined herself as such she felt the need to subsequently mould that term into an acceptable definition of what feminism meant for her. Chimamanda distances herself from the negative connotations that the word holds - the ‘baggage’ of the term ‘feminism’ and this section of the book particularly resonated with me. 'You hate men, you hate bras, you hate African culture, you think women should always be in charge, you don't wear makeup, you don't shave…’ the list goes on. I too, strongly believe the term ‘feminism’ has been undermined by certain connotations - all of which work to undermine the movement. Being a feminist should not be a threatening term meaning that as women rise, men will subsequently be at a disadvantage (or that feminists want that) - for me it is simply a movement demanding equal rights for all regardless of gender. Chimamanda concludes simply that: 'Yes, there's a problem with gender as it is today and we just fix it, we must do better. All of us, women and men, must do better.’
The Little coffee shop of kabul
Deborah Rodriguez
Set in Kabul, Afghanistan; this is a heartening story about five women who come together despite their differences to forge friendships which transcend cultural barriers.
The story is mostly set in a teahouse in a corner of Kabul, a bustling city which is becoming more dangerous and misogynistic under the increasing presence of the Taliban. Each of the women have a personal story and their lives become inextricably intertwined as a consequence of family, love and a mutual desire to do good, and create a safe haven for women.
Although at times there are emotionally heavy passages, the story is fictional and altogether written in a cheerful, easy-to-read style.
Beloved
Toni Morrison
This is undeniably a masterpiece. It’s a fictional story filled with details of the atrocities of slavery that are difficult to read about but important to acknowledge. The story revolves around that of a black woman ‘Sethe’ who escapes from ‘Sweet Home’, Kentucky, where she has been enslaved. Despite her physical freedom, Sethe arguably remains mentally enslaved by the horrors of her past. It’s a complexly written novel. Without spoiling the plot all I can reveal is that the violence of the past comes back to haunt our protagonist and her youngest daughter Denver in the form of ‘Beloved’, who walks out from beneath the water of a stream, and collapses in a heap by the steps of their doorstep at 124 one day with a black dress, straw hat and brand new shoes.
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S
Truman Capote
I picked this up because I love the infamous movie featuring Audrey Hepburn but I was surprised at how different the book is. As a classic I also thought it might be fairly heavy to read, but as it turns out Capote is very readable! He wrote beautifully and at times the language he used to coin his sentences together seemed more fitting for a poem than a novella. It tells the story of Holly Golightly - a resident ‘traveller’ who occupies the apartment in the brown-stone building below our narrator. After Miss Golightly repeatedly rings his bell to be let in upon losing her key, they spark up a passing friendship in which the narrator gleans insight into the mysterious girl’s life and history as events unravel. The narrator gleans that Holly makes weekly visits to Sally Tomato in prison - a NY mafia blackhand to naively give him a ‘weather report’ and company for an hour in exchange for $100. She hosts parties in her apartment (frequented mostly by infatuated men), occasionally likes to steal for the thrill, co-habits with a stray cat she is particularly fond of, and leaves her Christmas tree up until March. The entire story is told from the narrator’s point of view, her neighbour who she fondly nicknames ‘Fred’ after her brother. ‘Fred’ is an aspiring writer and yet another man charmed by Miss Golightly. It’s an uplifting, lighthearted story with some unanticipated twists, charmingly written and the edition I have included three short stories all of which were enjoyable to read.
The only afternote I would like to add is that in one scene Capote refers to ‘savage members of a jungle ambush, a band of Negro boys,’ and his negative portrayal, language and racist implication was not right then nor is it now. With each year that passes I am growing more conscious of racist slurs (in classic literature in particular) and I think it is important to both acknowledge and reject the normality with which it once appeared.
Pachinko
Min Jin Lee
Broken into three ‘books’ - this is a saga which describes four generations of a Korean family, exiled in Japan. The first book builds the foundations for the story, with the first generation. Lee magically brings to life a simple washer girl ‘Sunja’ from a local boarding house in Korea who is beguiled by a snappy dressing fellow from the marketplace. Upon falling pregnant, she learns he has family who reside in Japan, and refusing to accept herself as a mistress, she rejects the father, and to avoid shaming her mother and family name, instead accepts marriage with a Christian minister passing through the boarding house. They travel together to Japan where the remainder of the novel unfolds with each generation. The story is thick with the prejudices the Japanese hold against Koreans and the injustices Sunja’s family must surpass.
This was my favourite book I read this year, and one I'll hold onto.