It is a land where the peasants are virtual slaves to callous landowners who are never satisfied with their efforts. Where is this country? Well, it is magic so the location doesn't really matter, but the natives of the country are black, so perhaps it is intended to be in Africa. The story begins in the magical country of Druhástrana. There are ancillary characters, the fathers and other relatives, friends, and those who exploit the women, but, mainly, it is the story of these three women. So, what is this book actually about? Well, at its root, it is about a family of women: Margot, the grandmother Harriet, the mother and Perdita, the daughter. If one's attention wanders, as mine did midway through the book, one is quickly lost and must regroup to find one's way again. One thing I am sure of is that this novel requires the reader's strict attention to every sentence. Is this science fiction? Social commentary? Satire? A fairy tale? Magical realism? All of the above? Oyeyemi keeps the reader guessing and, frankly, I was never quite sure. Reading Helen Oyeyemi's latest book is a bit like looking at the mirrors at a carnival where everything is distorted and you can never be quite sure what you are seeing.
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