The First Woman: Winner of the Jhalak Prize, 2021 by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

An intoxicating mix of Ugandan folklore and modern feminism, from a multi-award-winning author

As Kirabo enters her teens, questions begin to gnaw at her – questions which the adults in her life will do anything to ignore. Where is the mother she has never known? And why would she choose to leave her daughter behind? Inquisitive, headstrong, and unwilling to take no for an answer, Kirabo sets out to find the truth for herself. 

Her search will take her away from the safety of her prosperous Ugandan family, plunging her into a very different world of magic, tradition, and the haunting legend of 'The First Woman'.

'In Jennifer Makumbi, we have a giant of literature living among us.' Peter Kalu, Jhalak Prize Judge

A SUNDAY TIMES, OBSERVER, DAILY MAIL, BBC CULTURE & IRISH INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE YEAR

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oneworld Publications (1 July 2021)

Language ‏ : ‎ English

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 448 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1786078589

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1786078582

Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.9 x 3.25 x 19.8 cm

Review

'The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi is the feminist coming-of-age story we've been waiting for. With the timeless quality of a story shared from lips to ears, this novel is a page-turner and a mind-blower.' Tayari Jones, author or An American Marriage

‘Ugandan literature can boast of an international superstar in Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi.’ Economist

'The genius of this novel is in its subtlety: home truths about the treatment of women throughout history are hidden like gems within the utterly engaging tale of a single girl... So, I’m calling it now: The First Woman will soon be considered a coming-of-age classic. And rightly so.' Stylist