I very much enjoyed reading this book, and look forward to purchasing a copy to keep on my shelf. While the inclusion of twelve characters is overwhelming, this speaks to the number of groups that are underrepresented: representation doesn't stop at gender, and often we as society forget this. As someone who works in the diversity and inclusion sector, it's necessary to tell these stories and I'm glad they've found a voice in Evaristo's creation.

This book was fantastic. Told from the point of view of multiple women living in Britain at various points in time. The women are black or in some cases mixed race. Each story gives us a snapshot of different points in each woman's life, and tackle a different issues. Whether it was sexuality, racism/prejudice, family or relationship problems, domestic abuse, mental health etc. All the women had their own experiences and these stories show that even though we might share the same skin colour, our experiences vary and are unique.
Highly recommend this title 👌

Although this is a book that is very well written it is too much for me. I struggled to get through it. I almost put it down several times but I decided I was going to read to the end. There are twelve main characters and they all have their own story and in the epilogue they all intertwine. However by then I can't remember who done what. I am sure there are others who will thoroughly enjoy this. I just am not one of them.
Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this arc for my honest review.

I asked for an ecopy of this book even though I'd already bought and read the hardback. I loved this book so much I want to be able to carry it with me and/or reread it when my hard copy is loaned out. It is so hard to describe this book in a way that does it justice. I savored each woman's story by reading one per day. Each story is about so much more than the titled person. It is really more about the people in her life. Each character is so well-drawn I came away feeling like I knew them. I don't reread many books, but this one I will read again and again.

A beautiful book. The stories flow and weave around each other to complete a finished product. I usually never read books like this but I’m glad I discovered it!

Twelve characters, primarily women, primarily black, of all ages and at various stages of life from childhood to old age, all strong-minded – and unusually all of equal value as protagonists in this panoramic exploration of Black British womanhood. We see them from the outside, often through the eyes of the other characters, and we see them from the inside as they tell their own stories. All have a chance to tell those stories, and they all feature in each other’s narratives. It’s an ambitious and complex novel, but Evaristo expertly holds all the threads together and I found it an absorbing and compelling read. Race, identity, heritage, feminism, sexuality – many themes, many perspectives. The novel is in essence a series of interconnected stories that all come together in a satisfying whole, a thoughtful and insightful novel about what it means to be black, British and female. Highly recommended.