Possessing the Secret of Joy is a collection of first-person narratives which tell the story of the effect a female circumcision ritual has on the central character's life, the lives of her family members, friends, and as Walker in her epilogue says, "on the whole society in which it is practiced, and the world."

Walker's choice of this technique seems appropriate to her theme since it illustrates her philosophy that "It is only the cruelty of truth, speaking it, shouting it, that will save us now." In other words, people need to speak out about wrongs, especially about wrongs that have been taboo subjects.

In The Color Purple, Walker spoke out about abuse within the African-American family through the epistolary form. Here she uses the oral tradition to discuss the ritualized abuse of women in Africa. It seems especially appropriate to have a variety of voices speak out...