Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992) by Alice Walker
"This book is dedicated with tenderness and respect to the blameless vulva." Before Eve Ensler and The Vagina Monologues there was Walker's challenging, unforgettable, tragic and triumphant tale of Tashi, a minor character from her 1982 work The Colour Purple, who chooses to undergo a traditional African female initiation ceremony.
Desert Flower (1998) by Waris Dirie
Waris Dirie was born a Somalian desert nomad. The female circumcision ceremony she underwent at the age of five is described here with a candour that will make you feel faint. How this act continued to define her and how she moved away and beyond it is only part of Dirie's awe-inspiring story. Running away from an arranged marriage at twelve, she became a model in her teens and rose to international fame; now she's a special ambassador for the UN. Her story is one that everyone should read.
© Bibliofemme 2003