Synopses & Reviews
In her thirteenth year, Kirabo confronts a piercing question: who is my mother? Kirabo has been raised by women in the small Ugandan village of Nattetta — her grandmother, her best friend, and her many aunts — but the absence of her mother follows her like a shadow. Seeking answers from Nsuuta, the local witch, Kirabo learns about the woman who birthed her, who she discovers is alive but not ready to meet. Nsuuta also helps Kirabo understand the emergence of a mysterious second self, a headstrong and confusing force inside her — this, says Nsuuta, is a streak of the "first woman" an independent, original state that has been all but lost to women.
Kirabo's journey to reconcile these feelings, alongside her desire to reconnect with her mother and to honor her family's expectations, is rich in the folklore of Uganda and an arresting exploration of what it means to be a modern girl in a world that seems determined to silence women. Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi's A Girl is a Body of Water is an unforgettable, sweeping testament to the true and lasting connections between history, tradition, family, friends, and the promise of a different future.
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“A magnificent blend of Ugandan folklore and more modern notions of feminism....This book is a jewel." Kirkus (Starred Review)
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“With each new work, Makumbi cements her position as a writer of great influence in our time and for future generations." Booklist, Starred Review
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“Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi is a mesmerizing storyteller, slowly pulling readers in with a captivating cast of multifaceted characters and a soupçon of magical realism.” Library Journal (Starred Review)
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“This beautifully rendered saga is a riveting deconstruction of social perceptions of women's abilities and roles." Publishers Weekly
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“Captivating.” Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of The Committed
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“Riveting.” Maaza Mengiste, author of The Shadow King
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“Tender." TIME
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Mesmerizing." O, The Oprah Magazine
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“Glorious.” The Washington Post
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“Irresistible.” The New York Times Book Review
About the Author
Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi is a recipient of the Windham-Campbell Prize and her first novel, Kintu, won the Kwani? Manuscript Project Prize in 2013 and was longlisted for the Etisalat Prize in 2014. Her story "Let's Tell This Story Properly" was the global winner of the 2014 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Jennifer lives in Manchester, UK with her husband and son.