Marie NDiaye is the first black woman to have won Prix Goncourt for her “Three strong women”. This tripartite novel is based on loosely-connected stories of… yes, you’ve got it, three strong women. As the narrative shifts between France and Senegal, we get to know women who struggle to keep their spirits as their lives are broken by men they relied upon. Their gender, race, and class play against them, but their resilience and inner strength help them retain their humanity. This is a gripping read that is deeply humane and psychologically accurate. Having read this book, you will keep thinking about it for years… we’re speaking from personal experience here!

The story of three women who say no: Norah, a French-born lawyer who finds herself in Senegal, summoned by her estranged father to save another victim of his paternity; Fanta, who leaves a contented life as a teacher in Dakar to follow her boyfriend back to France, where his depression and dislocation poison everything; and Khady, a penniless widow put out by her husband’s family with nothing but the name of a distant cousin in France. As these three lives intertwine, each woman manages an astonishing feat of self-preservation against those who have made themselves the fastest-growing and most-reviled people in Europe. In Marie NDiaye’s stunning narration we see the progress by which ordinary women discover unimagined reserves of strength.

Winner of 2009 Prix Goncourt
A New York Times Notable Book
A San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of 2012
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2012
Longlisted for The 2014 International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award

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