Doris Lessing, award winning South African novelist, has given us a haunting tale of desperation, disintegration and hope in her early book THE GRASS IS SINGING. In it, we see Mary Taylor, a reasonably intelligent young woman, pulling herself up from life in a dysfunctional family on a station, to a life in the city. She flourishes with a good job, comfortable apartment, many friends, fun filled outings, and nice clothes.
As the years go by, she senses that she needs a permanent relationship. With very little thought about the matter, she settles on a man in from the country, marries him quickly and leaves her former life behind her. Only after she has settled in to his dismal farm does she realize that he does not have the skills necessary for the work he has chosen on the land.
Mary has two choices. She can find her niche in this lonely existence and use her native intelligence to contribute to the farm and build her relationship or she can withdraw into destructive passive aggression. Mary chooses the latter and so in the process contributes to the destruction of her husband, the farm and eventually herself. Lessing demonstrates this unraveling using all aspects of farm life in South Africa during the first half of the 20 th century.
One is tempted to see this story as an allegory about colonialism and its disintegration in Africa. The Turners as representatives of the white power system portray its two faces. Dick Turner is the sensitive but weak boss whose paternalistic ways with his native workers only intensifies their smoldering hatred. Mary Turner is the harsh unsympathetic and lazy "madam" who pushes her last houseboy over the brink. Moses, the houseboy, represents Africa. He is filled to the brim with the need for human dignity and he thinks he can only achieve it with drastic action. Lessing's book provides us with a vivid dissection of the human spirit and an immoral society.
If this tale seems depressing an antidote may be in order. Try the following:
Lovel, Mary S. Bess of Hardwick: empire builder BS5613
Allgor, Catherine A Perfect Union: Dolly Madison and the creation of the American Nation. BM 1823
Brownrigg, Sylvia Ten Women who Shook the world: stories F Bro
Leonard, Elmore When the women come out to dance: stories MF Leo
(Submitted by Mary Lou Hartman, Reference Librarian)