5 iconic books by black women you must read this Women’s History Month

Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Dandicat 

When Haitians tell a story, they say “Krik?” and eager listeners answer “Krak!”.

Krik? Krak! is a collection of short stories set in Port-au-prince, Haiti, Ville Rose, and New York. The stories explore women’s identity as they navigate their lives in their home country and in the Diaspora.

Krik? Krak! has been well reviewed by both critics and readers alike, with Goodreads giving it 4 stars out of 5 in over 6,000 ratings.

As Penguin Random House reveals,  “In the book’s final piece, “Epilogue: Women Like Us,” she writes: “Are there women who both cook and write? Kitchen poets, they call them. They slip phrases into their stew and wrap meaning around their pork before frying it. They make narrative dumplings and stuff their daughter’s mouths so they say nothing more.””

For anyone interested in Caribbean women’s literature and experiences, Dandicat’s work is a staple.