''Singing Away the Hunger: The Autobiography of an African Woman'' is a 1996 autobiography by

Mosotho The Sotho () people, also known as the Basuto or Basotho (), are a Bantu nation native to southern Africa. They split into different ethnic groups over time, due to regional conflicts and colonialism, which resulted in the modern Basotho, who ...

woman Mpho 'M'atsepo Nthunya, edited by K. Limakatso Kendall. Nthunya, a Lesotho elder and matriarch, spent three decades as a domestic worker, supporting eleven people on her income. At the

University of Natal The University of Natal was a university in the former South African province Natal which later became KwaZulu-Natal. The University of Natal no longer exists as a distinct legal entity, as it was incorporated into the University of KwaZulu-N ...

, she met and befriended Kendall, an American writer on a Fulbright scholarship. Becoming friends, the two collaborated to record Nthunya's life story. Nthunya was born in 1930. Impoverished as a child, she often lacked clothing, shoes, and food, occasionally having to eat grass. She was able to freely attend Catholic grade school in South Africa, ultimately learning to read and speak eight languages. She modeled her life and faith on that of her

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

mother, but also maintained traditional beliefs in

magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...

, wizards, and illness-causing

spells Spell(s) or The Spell(s) may refer to: Processes * Spell (paranormal), an incantation * Spell (ritual), a magical ritual * Spelling, the writing of words Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Spell'' (1977 film), an American ...

. As an adult, Nthunya dealt with the death of her husband, and the murders of her father, brother, and children. Despite these hardships, Nthunya maintained a "love of natural beauty, as well as her sense of humor, hope, and dreams." In loosely connected episodes, including stories passed to her from her mother, Nthunya describes the difficult life facing many Basotho women, who must deal with a choice between the dangers, hardships, and degrading working conditions of city life as an indigenous African under

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

, and the challenges of traditional rural life. In the Basotho community, women often face child mortality,

forced marriage Forced marriage is a marriage in which one or more of the parties is married without their consent or against their will. A marriage can also become a forced marriage even if both parties enter with full consent if one or both are later force ...

domestic abuse Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for '' intimate partne ...

and

single parent A single parent is a person who has a child or children but does not have a spouse or live-in partner to assist in the upbringing or support of the child. Reasons for becoming a single parent include divorce, break-up, abandonment, becoming wid ...

hood. Illness and starvation are constant threats, and these are compounded by what Nthunya describes as the destructive force of jealousy in impoverished communities. Despite this, Nthunya chose in 1949 to move her family away from city life under apartheid to her rural homeland, so that they could learn the traditions of their people. The cultural conflict between city and rural life, and between Western and traditional culture, are a major theme of the book. Customs and rituals are a constant guiding force in Basotho life. The Basotho society is a patriarchal one: marriages are arranged without concern for women's preferences, and women are responsible for childcare and management of the household, but may receive little financial support. They live under the control of their husbands or male relatives, including their children. Women who are unable to bear children are stigmatized. With no power over men, women in Basotho society often oppress and victimize their sisters. However, Nthunya cherished the female friendships she had in the society.

Reviews

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' called Nthunya's narration "eloquent", and described her writing as having a "dignified emotional distance... punctuated by her very human humor and pain." '' Kirkus'' called the book "poignant and beautifully crafted", a "commanding and important work that will captivate readers with its unique voice, narrative power, and unforgettable scenes of life in southern Africa." In ''

Women's Studies Quarterly ''Women's Studies Quarterly'', often referred to as ''WSQ'', is a biannual peer-reviewed academic journal of women's studies that was established in 1972 and published by The Feminist Press. The Feminist Press was founded by Florence Howe in 1970. ...

'', Nthunya's book was favorably compared with two novels by African writers, ''

So Long a Letter ''So Long a Letter'' (french: Une si longue lettre) is a semi-autobiographical epistolary novel originally written in French by the Senegalese writer Mariama Bâ.Rizwana Habib Latha"Feminisms in an African Context: Mariama Bâ's so Long a Letter" ...

'' by

Mariama Bâ Mariama Bâ (April 17, 1929 – August 17, 1981) was a Senegalese author and feminist, whose two French-language novels were both translated into more than a dozen languages. Born in Dakar, she was raised a Muslim. Her frustration with the fate ...

and '' Petals of Blood'' by

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (; born James Ngugi; 5 January 1938) is a Kenyan author and academic who writes primarily in Gikuyu and who formerly wrote in English. He has been described as having been "considered East Africa’s leading novelist". His wo ...

, which also deal with themes of women's struggle in patriarchal societies, and that of widows in particular. The stories are said to speak "not only to the personal, not only to the Lesotho, not only to the African, but to the universal female experience."

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite journal, last1=Brown-Clark, first1=Sarah, title=Book Review, journal=

, date=Fall–Winter 1998, volume=26, issue=3/4, pages=215–219, jstor=40003287 {{cite web, title=Mpho Matsepo Nthunya, url=http://www.distinguishedwomen.com/bio.php?womanid=161, website=DistinguishedWomen.com, accessdate=29 March 2018 {{cite web, title=Singing Away the Hunger: The Autobiography of an African Woman, url=http://www.iupress.indiana.edu/product_info.php?products_id=20991, publisher= Indiana University Press, accessdate=29 March 2018 {{cite news, title=Singing Away the Hunger: The Autobiography of an African Woman, by Mpho 'M'atsepo Nthunya, url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mpho-matsepo-nthunya/singing-away-the-hunger/, accessdate=29 March 2018, work= Kirkus Reviews, date=1 August 1997 {{cite news, title=Singing Away the Hunger: The Autobiography of an African Woman, url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-253-33352-0, accessdate=29 March 2018, work=

, date=29 September 1997 Works by Lesotho people Lesotho literature Society of Lesotho South African autobiographies Books about apartheid Non-fiction books about immigration Books about indigenous rights Books about women 1996 non-fiction books 1997 non-fiction books Indiana University Press books Books published by university presses History of women in South Africa