? Anchored in the deep currents of the Nile, Sudanese author Reem Gaafar’s A Mouth Full of Salt portrays the circular nature of life in Sudan, with tragedies rippling across decades. Set against the backdrop of military rule in the 1980s and an unfolding civil war, the novel tells the story of a northern village through the voices of its women. The debut novel earned Gaafar the 2023 Island Prize for African Literature, capturing tangled tales of vengeance, destructive traditions, and familial weight.

A ruthless river: Gaafar launches us into a search for a young boy’s body, presumed drowned in the Nile. Such tragedies are not uncommon in the village, its locals having long learned to live with the river’s insatiable tides. Through the eyes of Fatima, a young girl whose older brother met a similar fate years ago, we see communal life take center stage. The men and boys dedicate their time and energy to the search party, while the women and girls make sure everyone is well-fed and cared for.

Fatima is an outwardly obedient daughter whose inner thoughts reveal a quiet resistance to the outlooks and constraints her society imposes, especially on women and young girls. She patiently awaits her school report, holding onto ambitions that exist beyond the limits of her small village. Sulafa, the lost boy’s mother, offers a portrayal of an oppressed woman married to a negligent and violent husband who takes a second wife after her struggles with pregnancy.

Jarring encounters with fate and echoes of the past. When the village is struck with a string of tragedies — sudden deaths, a livestock plague, and wildfires — rumors of witchcraft start circulating, with sightings of an old woman from up in the hills, said to curse whomever she comes in contact with. Halfway through, the story takes us 40 years into the past to meet a South Sudanese woman by the name of Nyamakeem, the alleged witch in the village. Her narrative draws the cyclical nature of resentful beliefs and oppressive traditions.

Gaafar paints an unembellished picture of the female experience in Sudanese village life, highlighting generational strains still felt today — yet her characters display a streak of agency that starkly contrasts with the norms of their time.

WHERE TO FIND IT- You can find A Mouth Full of Salt at Diwan or as an eBook on Amazon and Kobo.

Tags: