Women in Ancestor Stones

The thing that I find to be the most interesting about the women in Ancestor Stones is that despite their genetic obligation with one another, they all seem very different. Although they all suffer some form of injustice because of they're gender, I think its crucial to remember that all of these stories are ranging over a very revolutionary period in African history.

Asana (the eldest) is the daughter of the first wife Namina. Her story begins in 1926 with her father's journey into a forest leading to him to find a new village (Rofathane) and start a coffee plantation. Then, at 10 years old her (favored) twin brother dies. As a result, Asana hopes to win her mother's affections, but instead her mother is convinced that she is possessed by the dead twin becoming obsessed with exorcising his spirit instead! In comparison to some of the other stories this doesn't seem too tragic, yet this kind of familial isolation can be equally traumatizing.
Next, in 1931, is Mariama (Mary later on...thanks to those overwhelmingly generous do-gooders in Idaho), whose mother Sakie is the third wife. I found Sakie to be as fascinating as she was mysterious...she has two preoccupations, selling snuff and partaking in the spiritual practice of reading stones. The bond that is described between Sakie and Mariama seems almost elemental and spiritual, but all this changes when a Muslim preacher comes and imposes a ridiculously strict moral code in which virtually everything that Mariama enjoys is deemed haram. Sakie is eventually forced to give up her religion and falls into depression and then hazily enters and reenters until one day she never returns. After this, Mariama is sent to a convent where she gets baptised and becomes Mary.

Then comes Hawa, her portion begins in 1939. She is the daughter of the the sixth wife, Tenkamu, who is the favorite wife. envied by the other women, when Tenkamu falls sick she gets blamed for anything bad that happens to the village (its already bad enough being sick, but then being blamed for things completely out of her control...? ridiculous). After she dies, Hawa tries to avenge her mother' and goes after her accusers.

The youngest is Serah (1950), her mother Saffie is ranked at number 10 and has basically little to no status. She is (falsely) accused of adultery leading to her eventual departure from the village. Serah initially appears to be the most modern character...she gets married and studies in Britain, but when she returns home she is faced with the dilemma of an unfaithful husband who abuses the cultural polygamy.

It seems like all of these women experience loss at the expense of a power hungry male. None of these stories would be complete without the narrator's mothers, and the reason behind this is that these women have all witnessed their mother's "fall from grace"; whether it be from a failed marriage, envy, or sickness they are all subject to the male dominated hierarchies of society.