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The Fragile Mental Health of Strong Women
Lunga keeps quiet for a few minutes after my rant. I feel terrible for shouting at him. Babies cry, I rationalise. They are impatient because they have no sense of time. Lunga is not trying to ruin my life. I cannot assign malice to an infant. I bend down to kiss an apology into his forehead, but he starts wailing, trying to thrust the pacifier out of his mouth.
Black women are labelled as strong; their tears often seen as indulgent, their suffering expected to have an imminent expiration date. In Michelle Kekana’s ambitious debut, three thoroughly modern South African women find themselves brought to breaking point as they navigate the complexities of life, love and mental health. Utterly engrossing from the first page, The Fragile Mental Health of Strong Women is a bold exploration of what it means to be ‘strong’.
Black women are labelled as strong; their tears often seen as indulgent, their suffering expected to have an imminent expiration date. In Michelle Kekana’s ambitious debut, three thoroughly modern South African women find themselves brought to breaking point as they navigate the complexities of life, love and mental health. Utterly engrossing from the first page, The Fragile Mental Health of Strong Women is a bold exploration of what it means to be ‘strong’.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 17, 2025
2 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 2, 2025
Three black women going through different mental health struggles and eventually healing. The book delves deep into what brings them there, the highs and lows of the healing process and the role and journey of the characters' loved ones.
The accounts and horrors of each character feel real and raw and I enjoy the frankness the author brings to these heavy experiences. The book started out strong and lyrical, but later transformed into unabashed honesty about the experiences of the darkest moments of the characters' lives.
Strong debut by the author! Can't wait to read what she has for us in store next.
The accounts and horrors of each character feel real and raw and I enjoy the frankness the author brings to these heavy experiences. The book started out strong and lyrical, but later transformed into unabashed honesty about the experiences of the darkest moments of the characters' lives.
Strong debut by the author! Can't wait to read what she has for us in store next.
December 22, 2025
deeply touching and empowering book!
Following these three women through their different traumas and struggles in live and also seeing them fight their way through it all, was really inspiring to read!
I do feel like some parts were cut short where i wished for some more detail but all in all it was still an amazing piece of work. 🤩
The cherry on top, for me, was the unexpected queer representation in the characters.
All the characters felt very different but still very relatable in their own ways… i think every woman should read this to feel encouraged and empowered to fight your way through a life that’s made tough for us in so many ways!
Following these three women through their different traumas and struggles in live and also seeing them fight their way through it all, was really inspiring to read!
I do feel like some parts were cut short where i wished for some more detail but all in all it was still an amazing piece of work. 🤩
The cherry on top, for me, was the unexpected queer representation in the characters.
All the characters felt very different but still very relatable in their own ways… i think every woman should read this to feel encouraged and empowered to fight your way through a life that’s made tough for us in so many ways!
August 4, 2025
A heavy but poignant read.
September 19, 2025
A great read!
Fast paced with trauma portrayed realistically, great humour amidst the heaviness and interesting & surprising twists. Excellent debut novel and looking forward to more from Kekana.
Fast paced with trauma portrayed realistically, great humour amidst the heaviness and interesting & surprising twists. Excellent debut novel and looking forward to more from Kekana.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews