Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions

By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The award-winning author of We Should All Be Feminists and Americanah gives us this powerful statement about feminism today—written as a letter to a friend.

A few years ago, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie received a letter from a childhood friend, a new mother who wanted to know how to raise her baby girl to be a feminist. Dear Ijeawele is Adichie’s letter of response: fifteen invaluable suggestions—direct, wryly funny, and perceptive—for how to empower a daughter to become a strong, independent woman. Filled with compassionate guidance and advice, it gets right to the heart of sexual politics in the twenty-first century, and starts a new and urgently needed conversation about what it really means to be a woman today.

A Skimm Reads Pick ● An NPR Best Book of the Year

• Language: English
• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
• Release date: Mar 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524733148

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE grew up in Nigeria. Her work has been translated into more than fifty-five languages. She is the author of the novels Purple Hibiscus, which won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize; Half of a Yellow Sun, which was the recipient of the Women’s Prize for Fiction “Best of the Best” award; Americanah, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award; the story collection The Thing Around Your Neck and the essays We Should All Be Feminists and Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions. Her most recent work is an essay about losing her father, Notes on Grief, and Mama’s Sleeping Scarf, a children’s book written as Nwa Grace-James. A recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, she divides her time between the United States and Nigeria.

Book preview

Book cover image

ALSO BY CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE

We Should All Be Feminists

Americanah

The Thing Around Your Neck

Half of a Yellow Sun

Purple Hibiscus

Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie alfred a. knopf New York Toront

THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF AND ALFRED A. KNOPF CANADA

Copyright © 2017 by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York, and in Canada by Alfred A. Knopf Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited, Toronto.

www.aaknopf.com

www.penguinrandomhouse.ca

Knopf, Borzoi Books, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC. Knopf Canada and colophon are trademarks of Penguin Random House Canada Limited.

This is a slightly expanded version of a letter written by the author as a Facebook post on October 12, 2016.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi, [date], author.

Title: Dear Ijeawele, or, A feminist manifesto in fifteen suggestions / Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Description: First American edition. | New York : Alfred A. Knopf, [2017]

Identifiers: LCCN 2016058408 | ISBN 9781524733131 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781524733148 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Feminism. | Feminist theory. | Child rearing--Social aspects. | Mothers and daughters. | Women--Social conditions.

Classification: LCC HQ1155 .A35 2017 | DDC 305.42--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016058408

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi, [date], author

Dear Ijeawele, or, A feminist manifesto in fifteen suggestions / Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Issued in print and electronic formats.

ISBN 978-0-7352-7340-5 eBook ISBN 978-0-7352-7342-9

1. Feminism. 2. Feminist theory. 3. Child rearing—Social aspects. 4. Mothers and daughters. 5. Women—Social conditions 6. Parental influences. I. Title. II. Title: Feminist manifesto in fifteen suggestions.

HQ1206.A354 2017 305.42 C2017-900028-4

Cover background image by ksusha27/Shutterstock

Cover design by Joan Wong

ep_rh_4.1_148356934_c0_r4

Contents

Cover

Also by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Introduction

Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions

A Note About the Author

_148356934_

For Uju Egonu.

And for my baby sis, Ogechukwu Ikemelu.

With so much love.

Introduction

When a couple of years ago a friend of mine from childhood, who’d grown into a brilliant, strong, kind woman, asked me to tell her how to raise her baby girl a feminist, my first thought was that I did not know.

It felt like too huge a task.

But I had spoken publicly about feminism and perhaps that made her feel I was an expert on the subject. I had over the years also helped care for many babies of loved ones; I had worked as a babysitter and helped raise my nephews and nieces. I had done a lot of watching and listening, and I had done even more thinking.

In response to my friend’s request, I decided to write her a letter, which I hoped would be honest and practical, while also serving as a map of

Reviews for Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions

[phoenixcomet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie writes a letter to a friend who has just had a daughter answering the question of how to be a feminist. A short 80 page powerful read that men and women both should read. Women to not be tied down or limited by upbringing and men to gain a greater understanding on what relationships really should be like.

[awfki_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

2019-04-11: Yay! A feminist manifesto that's spot on. I think my agreement level was around 90-95%.

Stray Thoughts: You know what women don't realize? That 100% of their problems with men come from the men being unconscious. Hmmm, "unconscious" doesn't really work, maybe unawake? :shrug: Regardless, the women don't realize that because they are also unawake. They're both just a bunch of apes running on autopilot. If they can wake up and become human then they'll get it. Is that true? I think so but don't want to generalize my experience to everyone. I think there were a lot of things that I understood even before I was awake.

I feel sad for humanity. 100% of humanity's problems are caused by humanity. If they'd wake the fuck up and stop acting like apes all the problems would get fixed in short order. Hmmm. The problems would get fixed because the awakened people would cooperate. Competition is what animals do. They do it because they don't have language and social structures to facilitate cooperation.


2024-02-19: Re-reading because I bumped into it and have fond memories of it's shortness so thought I'd re-visit to see if anything's changed. Nope, I'm like 60% (it's really short) and it's good advice all around.

There are a couple of places where I think she's missing things but they're sort of background items. For instance I just read the line "The premise of chivalry is the weakness of women" and I suspect that she's missing the truth of that premise. Women are in fact, weak. Of course I mean physically weak relative to men. But that shouldn't matter. Physical strength shouldn't be a factor unless the question is "who do we call to pick up this heavy thing?". Chivalry is from a time when physical strength was important because everyone was playing by power games rules, and under PG rule if you have the power then you can do whatever you want. So under those rules chivalry wasn't such a bad deal for women. At least there was lip-service toward treating them well. So what I think Adichie misses here, possibly intentionally because it's not the topic of this book, is that we shouldn't be playing by power game rules, we should be playing by liberal game rules. LG rules and PG rules come from What's Our Problem by Tim Urban and if you haven't read that then that's one factor in why humanity is probably doomed. You're part of the problem. If you want to be part of the solution then also read Everything is F*cked and get acquainted with the basics of buddhist philosophy. These things all point to what our problem is and buddhist philosophy points to solutions.

2024-02-19: Excellent advice in general with only a few quibbles.

She says to teach the kid to take pride in various things and I no. Take pride in what you do and not in anything else. I suppose second-hand pride in the actions of others is okay too, but take pride in actions, not in accomplishments, not in performances, not in things that you are, but only in the things that you do.

She says "People who are unkind and dishonest are still human, and still deserve dignity." I think their unkindness and dishonesty can forfeit their humanity. We might still treat them with a certain courtesy but only in the same way we should treat any animal with a certain courtesy. I'm avoiding the world dignity because I'm not sure what it means to me. It seems like another meaningless concept made up by humans who think they're special. Humans are just animals. By default they should get no more dignity than a pig on a factory farm. If we treat the pig like an object then it's okay to treat humans like objects, right?

She says of being "non-judgmental" that it "can easily devolve into means 'don't have an opinion about anything' or 'I keep my opinions to myself'" and I wouldn't disagree with that. My thoughts here come from non-judgement being important in buddhist philosophy. It's not so much about not judging though, as it is about recognizing how often our "judgements" are just bullshit pronouncements based on bullshit beliefs and intended to make our ego feel good because we're better than the people we're pronouncing judgement on. Absolutely do not engage in that sort of judgement. I don't think she would disagree. But I'd also say that non-judgement is not making snap judgements, it's seeing the judgements your brain makes and then "thanks brain, but I'm going to ignore in favor of actually thinking this through".

[rickgeissal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this essay very much - well-written, very thoughtful, and very feminist.

[kwagnerroberts · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I won this book on Goodreads.

Written by request for a friend's new daughter, the advice/suggestions are so thoughtful and important. The writing definitely made me see perspectives that have been inklings in my mind but found their way to full thoughts to ruminate on after reading this great little book!

[smorton11 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The audiobook for this short tome is only an hour and a half long – the perfect length for one of my long run workouts. I don’t know about other runners/walkers, but the time for me is one of contemplation, as a distraction from focusing on my allergy induced wheezing and agonizing over how much my muscles hurt. Running through Valley Forge helps me focus on my thoughts and nature, and what I’m listening to while doing so.

As I listened to Dear Ijeawele, I considered the following: Both my sister-in-law and a close friend are expecting their first children in October and I have lately been contemplating what type of aunt/quasi-aunt I want to be. My husband has a younger sister who is 9 years old and I find myself reflecting on the sort of example I set for her when she was a very small child. Did I encourage her to be herself? Did I ever unwittingly tell her that she could or couldn’t do something simply because she was a girl? Is her present obsession with pink something she truly enjoys, or does she love pink and princesses because we as a society have conditioned her to? Did she want to wear her Converse high-tops as flower girl in my wedding because I thought it’d be cool, or because she did? How much did I influence her versus how many decisions did she make on her own?

The more I thought about it, the more worked up I got. I felt like I hadn’t followed any of Adichie’s suggestions, not that I was/am responsible for how my younger sister-in-law lives her 3rd grade life, but I want to be a positive, feminist influence on her life. And then I realized, yes, language matters, and yes, the relationships that young children witness matter, but no, not every woman has to have the same definition of feminism. So long as girls and women have choices, and those choices should be the same as men’s, they can live their lives however they want. My definition of feminism is not my mother’s definition, or even the same as my sister’s definition. My definition of feminism is to be my own person, and so long as that is what I strive to show the young children in my life, then I believe I have embodied the spirit of Adichie’s suggestions, even if I haven’t followed them letter for letter, word for word.

So learn from me, read or listen for a new and unique perspective, but do not take Dear Ijeawele as feminism gospel. Interpret Adichie’s suggestions for yourself, your family, and those young girls in your life and simply embrace the idea that everyone should have the choice and freedom to be whoever they wish to be.

[burritapal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A beautiful book, and beautifully written. Everybody who is going to have a baby should read this. But, I am always amazed that people take the frightening and somewhat selfish decision to make a human, when the effects of climate change are already making themselves felt. I am terrified for what climate change will mean for my daughters' lives, and I have asked them multiple times to forgive me for bringing them to this planet.
I can say that I followed her advice on how to raise feminists, for the most part, though I was far from the best mother. We expect women to somehow be perfect at motherhood, though we are only human, and many times have to (as I did) do it as a single mother with an abusive partner. My reward is to see my daughters reject the tradition of marriage and childbearing and be strong, independent women.

[thewestwing-864351 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such an amazing little book. So many powerful sentiments in so few pages. I loved it.

[benkline · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Another feminist writing (one long essay / kind of an essay collection since its broken down into 15 suggestions) by Adichie. I had read her other piece. As a father of three girls, and someone who does believe women should be completely equal with men, I feel its my duty to stay up on this stuff.

Adichie is a terrific and wonderful writer. Flowerful, and powerful prose, writing style, and word usage. Unfortunately, I do think some of the suggestions in this.... well... not 100% practical, or at least 100% truly strives for equality. And this is always where feminism is kind of an issue. There can never be truly 100% equality, because the striving for equality will either keep you behind the higher/believed higher people you are striving to become equal to, or will surpass them. Then in so doing, you do not become equal, you become above, and do you then attempt to self-correct? Or accept that you now have the higher position? Or do they then do their own version of feminism and attempt to become equal?

The striving for equality isn't so much the problem. Its methods. And while I believe the majority of her ideas and suggestions are on point. Some just aren't. And this isn't just so much as her, as it is all of feminism. It kind of ties into Vonnegut's short story where to create equality, everyone is basically shackled down to the lowest person's abilities. If everyone is so handicapped, then everyone is equal. The way to make women equal, isn't to undermine men, but to build up women. It is to recognize key differences, and understand them, and correlate them into things, not to undermine, or to only push for the differences that benefit women. This sometimes (often times) becomes an issue; especially from a male perspective. That feminism wants equality, but also doesn't want to fully distance and remove the differences that make women ... women; and make men men. So they push for the equality, but then also try to push the better parts of women past men, like wanting men to open doors, be chivalrous, but at the same time let women have complete freedom and autonomy, that they can do every job that men can do - plus the jobs only women can do; and should be paid same/better than men for it all, etc, etc.

This isn't an "every woman" or "every feminist" thing either. Just select some. And relatively, its not a huge issue, just something I often see, and bring up. Especially working in an industry where women and men are all paid the exact same (literally, all employees are paid the same, and we even share tips), but also see some women gain favor (promotions because they get to dress up, whereas men don't, and get to accentuate certain aspects whereas men don't; also they sometimes get to curry favor and not have to work the more strenuous games or games they don't like, citing certain reasons, etc.).

Ultimately I will defend feminism, and fight, and strain myself in its defense, not just for my daughters, not just for my mother, not just for my sister, but all women, because I honestly believe equality needs to be the ultimate goal. Not just between men and women, but between all races, all creeds, all religions and philosophies, and all genders.

[Rosamariamarq · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What can I say about my beloved Chimamanda? ...only that she is one of my literary loves. Her way of writing is a pleasure for the mind and the eyes. In this small work, she provides us with the foundations to be a feminist woman...and in everything, since my youth, I agree with her. (Translated from Spanish)

[shmerica-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best simple take on how to look at feminism in everyday life.

[Valen1904 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's very easy to read, and I feel that these readings should be included in schools. (Translated from Spanish)

[Guillermini · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful book, and I share the ideas it conveys in a fluid manner. A highly instructive book that reaffirmed my beliefs. Highly recommended. (Translated from Spanish)

[Monika · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This one has seemed even a little better than the first. It tells us about the suggestions given to a mother who wants to raise her daughter as a feminist, and he writes her a letter with a few pieces of advice that are essentially education, equality, humility, love...
Very good and at the same time very short, and since there is no two without three, I'm going for the third one now!! (Translated from Spanish)

[puntofinalpy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Chimamanda responds to her friend Ijeawele's request by providing 15 suggestions on how to raise her daughter Chizalem with feminism. The author also reflects on how easy it is to give parenting advice when one does not face such a complex task. In the book, you will not find rigid mandates, but rather suggestions and practical examples of how we can raise our children through sincere dialogue. A beautiful book for everyone! Not just for parents ? although it is an excellent gift for those who are or are on their way to becoming parents. Chimamanda quickly became one of my favorite writers. I discovered her work in 2019 thanks to a friend, and it was a delightful discovery. (Translated from Spanish)

[MTT0990 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A quite specific opinion that I truly agree with, I believe it is a good read to start in feminism like the rest of the author's books. (Translated from Spanish)

[ssperson_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I quite enjoyed this, and especially liked the insights into Nigerian cultures.

[drfuriosa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Few people can break down feminism as succinctly and as practically as Adichie. She gives a beloved friend advice on how to raise a feminist child. It's advice we'd all do well to follow. Her advice on co-parenting and marriage are particularly adept, for she notes that men must share the load equally with women in matters of domestic work and parenting, and that marriage should not be the defining act of a woman's life. An excellent accompaniment to We Should All Be Feminists.

[tomatecherryy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love it! I think it's a book that we all should read, not only to educate the children around us with more tolerant and thoughtful thinking, but also to reconsider whether we are doing things right at all times. It’s a super quick read that invites reflection!! Without a doubt, Chimamanda is one of my favorite writers. (Translated from Spanish)

[Psicocabra · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great introductory book on feminism. Easy to read, human, and above all, real. Reading it is like sitting down for a coffee with its author. (Translated from Spanish)

[NatoZorrilla · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have always considered myself a feminist, and then I read these things and realize I have a long way to go to be one; that I still have many beliefs, ideas, and attitudes to remove from my being; that I have much to learn and unlearn.
Dear Ijeawele is a beautiful letter written with so much love and hope. I loved it. (Translated from Spanish)

[MARILIBROS? · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I recommend it so much that I am at a loss for words.

I took three hours before the end of a Sunday to read it, and once you start, you can't stop. So beautiful, so hopeful, and so revolutionary.

Chimamanda Ngozi writes, in response to a friend's question about how to educate her daughter in feminism, a series of suggestions to make it happen. She breaks it down into the idea of an egalitarian world, where gender roles do not pose any barriers to being who she truly wants to be.

Wonderful? (Translated from Spanish)

[makarian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great. Recommended for educating both sons and daughters in feminism.... (Translated from Spanish)

[Ceci Pintoto · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

WE ALL SHOULD READ IT!

In this book, a slightly expanded version of the author's Facebook post from October 12, 2016, is presented. It consists of 15 tips that invite us to reject stereotypes, embrace failure, and strive for a more just society.

You will find advice ranging from pregnancy to adolescence, within a context that explains to us beforehand that feminism is contextual and that we should always trust our instincts above all. The reading is quick, and like the author's previously reviewed books, it leads you to reflection.

Among my favorite suggestions are number 5 "Teach them to love books," number 8 "Teach them to reject the obligation to be liked," and number 15 "Teach them to value differences." (Translated from Spanish)

[AbiguelVidal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Without a doubt, an excellent book where we find 15 recommendations for educating a little girl in feminism. Chimamanda explains in an easy, fun, and friendly way not only each of her points but also the reasons behind them. (Translated from Spanish)

[MarianBookish · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another one for the list of "NECESSARY BOOKS." (Translated from Spanish)

[pivic-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is a letter from the author to her friend's newly-born child, as she grows up a woman. It's on feminism and is straight-forward, but not narrow-minded enough not to use examples of what they mean.

I dig the rhythm of the short book, which is apparent from the start:

Dear Ijeawele, What joy. And what lovely names: Chizalum Adaora. She is so beautiful. Only a week old and she already looks curious about the world. What a magnificent thing you have done, bringing a human being into the world. ‘Congratulations’ feels too slight. Your note made me cry. You know how I get foolishly emotional sometimes. Please know that I take your charge – how to raise her feminist – very seriously. And I understand what you mean by not always knowing what the feminist response to situations should be. For me, feminism is always contextual. I don’t have a set-in-stone rule; the closest I have to a formula are my two ‘Feminist Tools’ and I want to share them with you as a starting point. The first is your premise, the solid unbending belief that you start off with. What is your premise? Your feminist premise should be: I matter. I matter equally. Not ‘if only’. Not ‘as long as’. I matter equally. Full stop. The second tool is a question: can you reverse X and get the same results?

Yeah, the examples are resourceful:

For example: many people believe that a woman’s feminist response to a husband’s infidelity should be to leave. But I think staying can also be a feminist choice, depending on the context. If Chudi sleeps with another woman and you forgive him, would the same be true if you slept with another man? If the answer is yes, then your choosing to forgive him can be a feminist choice because it is not shaped by a gender inequality. Sadly, the reality in most marriages is that the answer to that question would often be no, and the reason would be gender-based – that absurd idea of ‘men will be men’, which means having a much lower standard for men.

I love how utterly simplistic the author can be, when it just seems that she's freakingly fed up with what muck; here's an example where the word "please" is brilliant:

Please reject the idea that motherhood and work are mutually exclusive.

Also, on mentioning the child's father:

And please reject the language of help. Chudi is not ‘helping’ you by caring for his child. He is doing what he should.

And never say that Chudi is ‘babysitting’ – people who babysit are people for whom the baby is not a primary responsibility.

Another ace of a sentence:

The knowledge of cooking does not come pre-installed in a vagina.

Even though the author is curt, this is a good thing; even the slightly longer explanations that are in-place are quite curt:

Do you remember how we laughed and laughed at an atrociously written piece about me some years ago? The writer had accused me of being ‘angry’, as though ‘being angry’ were something to be ashamed of. Of course I am angry. I am angry about racism. I am angry about sexism. But I recently came to the realization that I am angrier about sexism than I am about racism. Because in my anger about sexism, I often feel lonely. Because I love, and live among, many people who easily acknowledge race injustice but not gender injustice. I cannot tell you how often people I care about – men and women – have expected me to make a case for sexism, to ‘prove’ it, as it were, while never having the same expectation for racism. (Obviously, in the wider world, too many people are still expected to ‘prove’ racism, but not in my close circle.) I cannot tell you how often people I care about have dismissed or diminished sexist situations.

Also, another good example:

When Hillary Clinton was running for president of the United States, the first descriptor on her Twitter account was ‘Wife’. The first descriptor on the Twitter account of Bill Clinton, her husband, is ‘Founder’, not ‘Husband’.

Teach her to reject likeability. Her job is not to make herself likeable, her job is to be her full self, a self that is honest and aware of the equal humanity of other people.

On rejecting idiocies from men on trying (perhaps inadvertently, which does not matter in the slightest) to shame women because of the female anatomy:

And speaking of shame – never, ever link sexuality and shame. Or nakedness and shame. Do not ever make ‘virginity’ a focus. Every conversation about virginity becomes a conversation about shame. Teach her to reject the linking of shame and female biology. Why were we raised to speak in low tones about periods? To be filled with shame if our menstrual blood happened to stain our skirt? Periods are nothing to be ashamed of. Periods are normal and natural, and the human species would not be here if periods did not exist. I remember a man who said a period was like shit. Well, sacred shit, I told him, because you wouldn’t be here if periods didn’t happen.

I think this letter is missing a section on make-up, and how it transforms women, of which many use make-up. I'd liked to have read a whole bit on that, actually.

Overall, a quick, short punch that can sometimes suffer a bit due to its curtness, but as a whole, it's a very often-needed punch to make one think.

[Cat21 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful and necessary book. I am just starting with feminist literature, and I feel that it has been a great start. Close and real. (Translated from Spanish)

[ColornChe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A small portion of pure love. An urgent book. (Translated from Spanish)

[KonyM · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic! The author teaches us a lot about things we think we have already learned! (Translated from Spanish)

[lydia1879 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has recently come under fire for comments regarding trans people and feminism, which I won't post here because her comments have since been clarified and re-clarified. But I do want to say that I fully support and believe trans people can be feminists and their experiences of gender, privilege and its surrounds cannot be undermined, but rather, listened to.

Trans people are wonderful and are as diverse as the LGBTIQA community itself, and while I respect Adichie, her thoughtless comments are things I kept in mind while reading her work.

ANYWAY. ONTO the actual review.

This feels like an elaboration on We Should All Be Feminists. If We Should All Be Feminists is the What of feminism, then this book is the Why. Why should we care that girls are constantly given pink? Why are little girls scrutinised and being told to "be careful" far more than boys? Written as a letter to a friend and since tweaked, this feels like an intimate little feminist read.

I appreciate Adichie's simple language, how she can take a sexist idea and break it down into its smaller parts. This feels like something I would give to a young teen who hasn't actually heard any of these ideas spoken out loud. Children are so good at absorbing and adapting to societal norms but here's a tiny, little simple book that might break those concepts and what a novel thought that is.

I liked this a lot but I would also love for Adichie to go beyond these simple truths, to pick apart everything she knows -- I look forward to her next non-fiction work (critical thoughts and all).