A murder with multiple suspects. Possessing the Secret of Joy, by Alice Walker, reveals a cultural tradition that is considered taboo by its society; it is left unspoken of, yet it is condoned. Female circumcision still happens today. Possessing the Secret of Joy Alice Walker, Author, James Walker, Author Harcourt Brace $30 (304p) ISBN 978-0-15-173152-7. The first was nearly 20 years ago and all I really recalled was thinking I should hold on to the book because I would read it again. Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2020. Please try your request again later. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges, Or get 4-5 business-day shipping on this item for $5.99 It's been sitting on my shelf for a few years and I'd completely forgotten about it. This was the toughest book for me to finish. Tashi's struggles with her inner demons - trying to connect with the traditions that define her as a member of the village, with the knowledge that the practice killed her sister, Dura. A frightening thought. Men have suppressed women for eons in one way or another, which is testament to their power that men chose not to contend with. Alice Walker does a unbelievable job of kicking your apathetic butt into gear. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime. . This was a very well written book about female circumcision. A teacher is teaching amidst all odds, talk about it for days saying how perfect the person is. I Am the Grand Canyon: The Story of the Havasupai People. In Possessing the Secret of Joy, Walker is, in fact, a Fury, rending her garments and yowling with the pain and rage of all womanhood, and of all … The book chronicles the history and the belief that women are unclean and that myths and practices destroy the person within. Famine killed her siblings. In my defense, probably 98 percent of the US population at the time had never heard of female circumcision (as it was then called). This was the toughest book for me to finish. Although some scenes take place in Europe or the United States, most of the action develops in the invented Africa of the Olinka tribe, a fictional construction that serves as a As a young woman, a misguided loyalty to the customs of her people led her to voluntarily submit to the tsunga's knife and be genitally mutilated (pharoanoically circumcised). It's a beautiful book, somewhat shocking, but wonderfully played out. I am not an emotional reader, leaving teardrop stained pages, but I dare you to be unmoved by this story--whether you are male, female, black, brown, white, asian or latina. In 1992 following the publication of her novel, Possessing the Secret of Joy,” Pulitzer-prize winning author, Alice Walker, was attacked for her ethnocentrism and bigotry by academics, feminists and multiculturalists for her condemnation of the African cultural practice of genital mutilation. This was a difficult book to read. Possessing the Secret of Joy, out of print for a number of years, was the first novel to deal with this controversial topic and managed to do so in a manner that Cosmopolitan called "masterful, honorable, and unforgettable storytelling." I intend to bring to fore the idea that all of us are flawed in one way or another. As a young woman, a misguided loyalty to the customs of her people led her to voluntarily submit to the tsunga's knife and be genitally mutilated (pharoanoically circumcised). Possessing the Secret of Joy, out of print for a number of years, was the first novel to deal with this controversial topic and managed to do so in a manner that Cosmopolitan called "masterful, honorable, and unforgettable storytelling." I'd actually forgot alot of the colour purple but while this story involves some of the characters it's actually a separate story, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 12, 2018. This book explains more about where the practice comes from, the beliefs that perpetuate the practice, and how women have finally become powerful enough in numbers to resist and fight for the right to live as fully sexual beings. I was in awe of the continent and I often felt repulsed by colonial subjugation. She left Ireland to create a new family. Start by marking “Possessing the Secret of Joy” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. I read this book many, many years ago in college and I have to say it changed me as a person and changed my worldview. Hardcover. Inspire a love of reading with Amazon Book Box for Kids, Previous page of related Sponsored Products. I intend to bring to fore the idea that all of us are flawed in one way or another. Surrender to the Muse of Love and Pain. Picked this book up for a dime on a bookshelf full of unappealing books outside of a library. The story is told by several voices, and flips back and forth through time to tell it. Tashi who makes a brief appearance in The Color Purple gets her story told here. Talk:Possessing the Secret of Joy. For starters, the style is extremely different; The Color Purple has a fairly straightforward narrative structure, while Possessing the Secret of Joy is a fragmented jumble of viewpoints and chronology. Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2015. Learn why “I need help” are the three bravest words we’ll ever say. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Possessing the Secret of ... "A truly original creation,” L.A. Times. Free download or read online Possessing the Secret of Joy pdf (ePUB) book. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. In a stirring and impeccably researched novel of Jazz-age Chicago in all its vibrant life, two stories intertwine nearly a hundred years apart... "A mesmerizing and profound sweeping saga which tells the story of the American West over 70 years and through 3 generations,” The Post. It's another post-modern tragedy. Walkers description of female genital mutilation is so disturbing, it is indelibly imprinted in my mind. Alice Walker is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. I first heard of female circumcision from an article I read in Reader's Digest when I was a teenager. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. I recommend it to anybody who is interested in the history of female sexuality and circumcision. Oh my heart, my heart, my feminist heart. I have to wonder, with women, Blacks, Gays, etc. Share with your friends the best quotes from Possessing the Secret of Joy. The subject of Alice Walker's book has been one that I have been interested in, yet avoided, as it evokes strong emotional response, horror, revulsion, etc. We see the wonderful youthful girl enjoying a crush and feeling the splendor of sex in the grass - yet - we learn that women in that village practice genital circumcision on every young girl. Possessing the Secret of Joy is the 3rd book in the Color Purple Collection, which also includes The Color Purple and The Temple of My Familiar. We’d love your help. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Possessing the Secret of Joy, out of print for a number of years, was the first novel to deal with this controversial topic and managed to do so in a manner that Cosmopolitan called "masterful, honorable, and unforgettable storytelling." There was a problem loading your book clubs. Possessing the Secret of Joy ifollows a young girl Uju, who is coerced into a loveless marriage by her mother due to their poverty. "Possessing the Secret of Joy" is about the "telling" of suffering and the breaking of taboos. I read this book close to its first publication date. It does concentrate on Celie’s children and Tasha, Adam’s wife. Possessing the secret of joy Item Preview remove-circle Share or Embed This Item. More By and About This Author. i am, doubtless, doing a grave injustice to this book, which will be probably rectified the moment i read reviews and secondary material on it. If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Buy Possessing The Secret Of Joy by Walker, Alice from Amazon's Fiction Books Store. Makes one ponder what is tradition and why. An FBI Agent on a mission. I appreciated Walker putting a human face on a culture that adopted the practice of “female genital mutilation.” But it bothers me some that she created a fictional culture, the Olinka tribe, to play out the drama of a people that has long adopted the practice. Trying to dig back through but having a hard time remembering where it is... Should I read it if I loved the color purple? The author, Alice Walker, gives us a unique perspective for each of the characters in each chapter. I appreciated Walker putting a human face on a culture that adopted the practice of “female genital mutilation.” But it bothers me some that she created a fictional culture, the Olinka tribe, to play out the drama of a people that has long adopted the practice. A teacher is teaching amidst all odds, talk about it for days saying how perfect the person is. I was shocked when I read this book. Alice Walker’s novel Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992) focuses on Tashi, a minor character from Walker’s earlier and more famous novel, The Color Purple, who marries Adam, Celie’s son. In Alice Walker's Possessing the Secret of Joy, we meet Tashi Johnson again (she first appeared in The Color Purple).The young tribal African woman is now living in North America. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. For you bless the righteous, O LORD; Alice Walker does a unbelievable job of kicking your apathetic butt into gear. While I am not celebrating colonialism, there is a silver lining in every aspect of life and one of those aspects in the case of colonialism is that it brought to forefront the mutilation of female body in the name of patriarchy (not necessarily an African thing). I read it a long time ago, and bought this copy as a gift. The main characters of this fiction, feminism story are,. The African continent gave me one such lesson. We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Can she wrestle the one lie from a killer’s twisted words before he walks free? Unfortunately she's barely recognizable here, and the two books almost seem like they were written by different authors. I'm not sure that was the author's intention but that's what this book did for me. Bible verses about Joy and Life… Psalms 5:11-12 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. This book was hard to put down and a riveting read. A doctor is fighting for us, romanticise her/his profession. It's had a lasting effect on how I treat others, how I see my place in the world and how I how I feel I should conduct myself (reaching out more to help rather than just turning a blind eye to the problems of others). In Possessing the Secret of Joy, Alice Walker exposes the abhorrent practice of female genital mutilation in an unforgettable, moving novel. by Washington Square Press. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Please try again. Possessing the Secret of Joy is foremost an exploration of female sexuality and the way that that aspect of a woman’s self-identity is managed on … The New Press is proud to bring the book back into print with a new preface by the author addressing the book's initial reception and the changed attitudes toward female genital mutilation that have come about in part because of this book. Firstly, it is the most ‘African’ of her novels. Finished because this was a bookclub section and I thought it jumped from too many POVs and time periods. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. "Endlessly entertaining," Publishers Weekly. Here is the hardest part: YOU MUST READ IT TO THE END. Unable to add item to List. Opening line - 'I did not realise for a long time that I was dead.'. EMBED. $13.49. Possessing the Secret of Joy is a clear conceptualization of Walker's ecofeminist stance with the homologous relationship she maintains between the oppression of women and the exploitation of nature. Intense poetry for the darkest souls. On October 06, 1992, The John Adams Institute hosted an evening with Alice Walker. The book kicks off a quote about Tashi from “The Color Purple”, who as a young immigrant in Americ. Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2017. Please try again. I started this book before years ago and couldn't finish. The author, Alice Walker, gives us a unique perspective for each of the characters in each chapter. Can’t wait to read more from Alice! In 1983, Walker became the first African-American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for fiction with her novel, “If you lie to yourself about your own pain, you will be killed by those who will claim you enjoyed it.”. The entire, ground-breaking mystery series in 1 volume. . The print quality of the cover is absolutely rubbish. You will be angry, unbelievably angry. I had previuosly read another book on female "circumcision", Back in the early Nineties, there was a story in our local newspaper about female circumcision that was published because of the release of. Possessing the Secret of Joy is a 1992 novel by Alice Walker. I will reveal my total ignorance here--I did not realize that the subject of this book was 'real', as in actually happening, until I was more than halfway thru the book. The problem, however, with, The book details the life of an African girl, Tashi, from her youth through marriage - she meets the son and a daughter of missionaries and becomes friends with them - although still seeking acceptance from her village. The novel's subject, female genital mutilation, cannot be sugar-coated, nor should it be. The subject of Female Circumcision is a hard one to read about, especially for a man. This, for me, was a 'change the way you see the world forever' book. has been added to your Cart. Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2018. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! The Emigrant: A Journey from Ireland to America (An American Journeys Novel), The Muse of Love & Pain: a collection of dark poetry, 99 Truths: A Frankie Johnson FBI Local Profiler Novel (FBI Local Profiler Series), Alice Walker is one of the most prolific and important writers of our time, known for her literary fiction, including the Pulitzer Prize–winning. And of course, the prevailing theme of Possessing the Sec. Now, I am not asking for not celebrating humanness. From the author the New York Times Book Review calls "a lavishly gifted writer," this is the searing story of Tashi, a tribal African woman first glimpsed in The Color Purple whose fateful decision to submit to the tsunga's knife and be genitally mutilated leads to a trauma that informs her life and fatefully alters her existence. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. I was deeply disappointed in Alice Walker when she wrote this book. WikiProject Novels (Rated Stub-class, Low-importance) This article is within the scope of WikiProject Novels, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to novels, novellas, novelettes and short stories on Wikipedia. It was recommended to me by several friends whose judgment in books reflected mine, but I kept putting it off. Checking In: How Getting Real about Depression Saved My Life---and Can Save Yours, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (Dover Thrift Editions). Refresh and try again. Possessing the Secret of Joy is the story of Tashi, a tribal African woman who lives much of her adult life in North America. This was my first Alice Walker novel and it won’t be the last. NOOK Book. But I think it is very relevant in view of women's rights, especially in Africa, but also in the middle East as well as parts of the western world. Ship This Item — Not Eligible for Free Shipping. Possessing the Secret of Joy is a 1992 novel by Alice Walker. Yes. Her motives, I think, were genuine but her method was problematic for me. Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2020. The story makes real the fact of genital mutilation and the message it leaves behind about the female human body. (Prices may vary for AK and HI.). At present, amongst the various problems that are looming eerily around the world, one of the most problematic ones is romanticization. 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