Girl, Woman, OtherGirl, Woman, Other
Score Modern
What it's about
Twelve characters, mostly Black British women, tell interlocking stories that range across a century. There's Amma, a lesbian playwright about to open her first show at the National Theatre; her daughter Yazz, a sharp-tongued university student; Carole, a banker who rose from a rough London estate; and Hattie, a ninety-three-year-old farmer in Northumberland. Their lives touch in ways that only come clear at the end. Evaristo writes in a free-flowing style with few full stops, closer to poetry than standard prose.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Booker Prize, shared with Margaret Atwood, and made Evaristo the first Black woman to win. It's generous, funny and alive, a portrait of modern Britain you won't get anywhere else.
You'll love it if you liked
Americanah
The Vanishing Half
Shuggie BainGood to know
The unusual punctuation takes a few pages to get used to, then reads quickly. Each section focuses on one woman, so it's easy to pick up and put down.
By the numbers
- Readers87 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics75 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller31 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz14 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #16 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #72 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #136 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is Girl, Woman, Other worth reading?
Yes. It won the Booker Prize, shared with Margaret Atwood, and made Evaristo the first Black woman to win. It ranks #136 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 85.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Girl, Woman, Other about?
Twelve characters, mostly Black British women, tell interlocking stories that range across a century. There's Amma, a lesbian playwright about to open her first show at the National Theatre; her daughter Yazz, a sharp-tongued university student; Carole, a banker who rose from a rough London estate; and Hattie, a ninety-three-year-old farmer in Northumberland. Their lives touch in ways that only come clear at the end. Evaristo writes in a free-flowing style with few full stops, closer to poetry than standard prose.
How long does it take to read Girl, Woman, Other?
About 12 hours (464 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Girl, Woman, Other won?
Booker Prize winner (2019).
What should I read after Girl, Woman, Other?
If you liked it, try Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett or Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart.