"I Is A Long Memoried Woman is a beautifully crafted poetic narrative that weaves together the voices of African women lost to the annals of history. Grace Nichols' words bring to life a visceral and emotional portrayal of the legacy of slavery and the struggle for identity in the Caribbean. Highly recommended for those interested in cultural history and impactful poetry."

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I Is A Long Memoried Woman, a collection by Guyanese poetess Grace Nichols, was first published in 1983 and a winner of the Commonwealth Poetry Prize. Nichols’ work develops the story of an anonymous African-Caribbean woman as she recounts the cruelty of slavery and its crippling effects on body, mind, and spirit. The narrator’s story is told in a rich language, which compliments the form to result in a rhythmic musicality reminiscent of spiritual slave songs.The collection of poems is divided into five sections, each an extended snapshot of the narrator’s life, and provides a view on slavery that cannot be delivered through a textbook, such as African compliance for the slave trade and being raped and impregnated by her slaveholder.

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