A WOMAN IN HER PRIME. By Asare Konadu

The frustrations of a woman who takes ages to give birth... lots of African literature is focused on this, even by our female writers. Seems we continue to be defined in this wise by society, and the woman apparently is always at fault. Yet in the western world it does not seem to matter much. Theresa May who led Britain, did not have children, nor did that very impressive American lady, Condoleezza Rice. Don't get me wrong, I reckon most women themselves desire to be mothers, but they should not be made to feel like pariahs, misfits or failures if they do not. Yet in this simple rural African depicted here, the women are not really suppressed as such. They are free enough under the circumstances though they still have to be primarily mothers and nurturers. One feels happy that our 'heroine' (Pokuwaa) here at least gets to be a mother at long last...

- Lupna Avery