Mariama Bâ’s Une Si Longue Lettre

This advanced French language class will read and discuss a short novel by the celebrated pioneer of Senegalese feminism, Mariama Bâ. Her novel, which premiered as both a critical and popular success from the time of its publication in 1979, has since been translated into more than a dozen languages worldwide. In the novel, Ramatoulaye, a recent widow writes a letter touching on the major events over the course of her life. She explores themes such as family, friendship, education, local customs, religion, and the condition of women in late twentieth-century West African society. 

Required Reading: Mariama Bâ, Une Si Longue Lettre, Edition CTAD, ISBN 979-8436907673.

Jayne Boisvert has two advanced degrees in French—an MA from Boston College and a PhD from the University at Albany, New York. She has taught courses in French language, literature, history, and film throughout her career, most recently at Russell Sage College in Troy, New York.