A Question of Power [Paperback]

Bessie Head (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 11, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0435907204 | ISBN-13: 978-0435907204

It is never clear to Elizabeth whether the mission school principal's cruel revelation of her origins is at the bottom of her mental breakdown. She has left South Africa with her son and is living in the village of Motabeng, the place of sand, in Botswana where there are no street lights at night.

Editorial Reviews

Review

?Head brilliantly develops ascending degrees of personal isolation, and is very moving when she describes abating pain.?-The Sunday Times

About the Author

Born in South Africa, Bessie Head, had a traumatic life and she drew heavily upon her experiences for her novels. Her first novel, When Rain Clouds Gather grew out of her experience as a refugee, and was followed by Maru and A Question of Power (1973). In 1977 she published The Collector of Treasures, a book of short stories exploring the position of women in Africa.

Bessie Head died in Serowe, Botswana in 1986, aged only 49.

Product Details

• Paperback: 206 pages
• Publisher: Longman (May 11, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0435907204
• ISBN-13: 978-0435907204
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #499,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars multiple facets of power, April 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Question of Power (Paperback)

I was recommended this book and told "it's about a woman's descent into madness. But A Question of Power is much more than that. It presents the life of a woman of mixed heritage in South Africa and Botswana. The reader is allowed into her mind and taken to a place where one may question one's own sanity, in imitative form. Her relationships--and the novel at large--invite a probing of our understanding of reality. Where is the line between the seen and the unseen, and what is their relation to what we call reality? The language is clear, precise. It should be no deterrent to say that this book is political, for how can one examine power or even view this world nonpolitically? All political really means is that it's a true work of art. This book envelops you, it does not overpower. Bessie Head writes with intelligence and grace.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read, January 26, 2012

By 

Siti Jevens "Siti" (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Question of Power (Paperback)

In A Question of Power, Bessie Head makes a deep exploration into the life of a woman in her world which is governed by every day efforts of the characters to exercise control or have an edge over those they are dealing with. Brilliantly written, this fast moving and deep novel is a recommended book for someone interested in women in this politically liberal part of Africa.I see echoes of other African stories like The Oaf, The Usurper and Others.This is an intuitively observed story with a fascinating plot and great narrative and dialogue.