A Girl is A Body of Water

Kirabo, a young Ugandan girl, begins to question herself as she reaches her twelfth birthday. Raised by the women in her village, she's never known her mother but becomes fixated on who she was. Searching for answers, she begins to meet with Nsuuta, a woman thought to be a witch by the others in the village, and Kirabo learns more about what it means to be a woman in different contexts.

This book was an experience, a poignant, introspective collection of observations about coming of age, family, womanhood, femininity, and gender roles. Kirabo's voice was endearing, and my favorite moments were when she reflected on the advice other women give her. Seeing her work through her confusion to draw her own conclusions, and having those conclusions further questioned with the more experience she gains, was a gripping construct.

The most striking aspect of A Girl Is a Body of Water was the commentary and critique on women. As a young girl, Kirabo defines who she is through storytelling and other people's opinions of her. She wants her grandparents to respect her, the older kids to acknowledge her, and more than anything, she wants to find her purpose. In questioning her identity, however, she becomes acutely aware of her body, her sexuality--reproductive and the stigma surrounding girls who are sexually active--and realizes that being a woman isn't as simple as she thought. Women are supposed to support each other, but she frequently finds herself at odds with the other women in her life. A woman's worth is defined by men, whether it be father or husband, but Kirabo spends her early years apart from her father and then watches as he's scolded by his mother. Her struggle to make sense of herself in a world of competing dichotomies was so relatable and spot-on. This is where Makumbi shines; beyond culture and race and religion and differences, there is a universal complexity to being a woman, and the journey to self-discovery is oftentimes full of confusion and doubt.

And hope.

Makumbi's writing is beautiful, authentic, and seemingly effortless. I appreciated her use of storytelling traditions and oral histories and could've read those stories all day. Some of the chapters were a bit dense and description heavy, but overall, A Girl Is a Body of Water was a superb, heartfelt, brilliant read with no shortage of heart string-tugging moments and beautiful reflection.

Thank you to Tin House and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

In this sweeping saga, a young girl growing up in 1970s Uganda struggles to find her mother and to be a modern girl in a restrictive and patriarchal society.

A GIRL IS A BODY OF WATER is a breathtaking novel about Kirabo and her discovery of herself, her history, and the complexities of people and our communities. The prose is beautiful, the characters come almost hauntingly vividly to life, and the messages about our bodies, trusting and confiding in and working with fellow women, connecting ourselves to our complex histories, and learning about ourselves and our families enough to know we have the power to envision our own futures. It doesn't mean there aren't forces working against us, forces of oppression that marginalize and disenfranchise us, but it does mean that Kirabo is able to find it in herself, with the help of her community, to quietly subvert the power structures holding her and so many other girls down.

The first probably half of the book was a little less action-packed for me, but it also simultaneously did some important world-building, introduced us to many layers of the characters, and allowed me to really get a good understanding of the context of the book. And then the second half happened, I couldn't put down the book, and suddenly it was basically the middle of the night! I love it when that happens.

Congratulations to Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi for this stunning novel and thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance copy!