HarperOne
ISBN: 978-0062132765
Published April 30, 2013
Hardcover, 272 pages
Wow, this book was such an
inspirational read! There were moments when I was in tears and others
when I wanted to whoop for joy. It is a book that every person, but
especially women, can appreciate because it is the amazing story of
Molly Melching, a fearless woman, known as one of the "most powerful women in women's rights". Through education and respect, she led African women to stand up for their rights and helped them celebrate their freedom.
However Long the Night reads
like a novel. It is the story of Molly, an American university
student who went to Senegal in 1974 and decided to stay, loving the
people of that land, their culture and their warmth. Feeling at home
in a country so unlike her own, Molly saw the needs of the people.
With the help of several Senegalese scholars, she opened a children's
center, “where she used elements of traditional African culture to
reach out-of-school children in their native Wolof language.”
After experiencing life in remote
African villages, Molly founded Tostan, an organization that promoted
learning through education based on human rights, where villagers
learned to read and write, and how to take care of themselves and
their families through proper health care. This is where the topic of
female genital cutting came up, a topic known as “the tradition”
and never discussed, seen as a loving act to prepare a daughter for
marriage.
By empowering women through discussion
and human rights education, Molly helped revolutionize how Africans
viewed their traditions without ever judging or criticizing. Her
organization succeeded where many others failed. What touched me the
most is how she involved the religious leaders and the village
chiefs, the men, to understand the dangers of female genital cutting.
Molly understood and saw the African wisdom beneath the uneducated.
She trained all her staff to respect the African way so that through
dignity, perseverance and patience, the African women took a stand
and made the changes that would help all their future generations to
triumph.
This is an important story because we
can all learn from how Molly helped bring about change. This selfless
woman dedicated her life to achieve what may have seemed impossible.
I was inspired, uplifted and greatly touched by, not just her story,
but that of all the African women and men who played a part in
shaking their world for the better. A remarkable and unforgettable
book—one of the best books I've read this year. Highly recommended.
Note: This book is rated C = clean read.
To read more reviews, visit the TLC Book tour page.
Aimee Molloy has collaborated on seven books, including with Newsweek journalist Maziar Bahari on Then They Came for Me: A Family’s Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival and with Pam Cope on Jantsen’s Gift: A True Story of Grief, Rescue, and Grace. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a master’s degree from New York University. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and daughter.
Find out more about Aimee at her website.
Reviewed by Laura
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