Possessing the Secret of Joy

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.

Possessing the Secret of Joy was the first novel to deal with this controversial topic.

Endorsements

“a lavishly gifted writer” — The New York Times Book Review

“masterful, honorable, and unforgettable storytelling” — Cosmopolitan