Yahoo Finance The books that shaped me: Rachel Edwards
Welcome to 'The books that shaped me' - a Good Housekeeping series in which authors talk us through the reads that stand out for them. This week we're hearing from Rachel Edwards, the debut author of the bestselling literary thriller, Darling, the toxic tale of a Black British woman and her white English stepdaughter, starting from the morning after the Brexit vote. She is a BBC radio regular and also writes a column for the Sunday Times Magazine. Her second novel, Lucky, comes out in June 2021.
How have books impacted your life?
I cannot remember a time before I loved books. They were, and are, my obsession, my passion and my friends. In my childhood, I was never ‘bored’ and do not recall ever feeling a moment of loneliness until much later. Literature was my ready companion. More than merely entertain, or inform, or distract, novels in particular have resonated so powerfully with me that, from about the age of seven, I could think of nothing I would rather do than write one. I feel truly grateful for my love of words; it will be with me forever.
The childhood book that's stayed with you...
I adored books from a very young age – as soon as I could grip objects, I was seizing books for Mum to read. All credit to her for putting in the hours in – by the time I was three, I could recognise words on a page. As I grew, so did my passion for reading. I was never happier than when in the village library, borrowing the maximum number of books. The first to completely transport me was The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton: as close to heaven as a child could get. Immersive, unpredictable and brilliant.
Your favourite book of all time...
It pains me to pick just one! At different stages of my life, different books have blown me away: Jane Eyre, Catch-22, The Sellout, Possession, The Rachel Papers, Beloved… the list goes on and on. If I were not constantly amazed by books, there would be little point in reading. However, one book so extraordinary I could scarcely believe it could be confined to the page is Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders. Oh, the beauty and longing and lyricism of that book! Love after death: deeply personal yet universal; man reaching for a glimpse of heaven.
The book you wish you'd written...
As a debut author, with my next book, Lucky on its way, I’m mostly delighted to have written my own work! However, it must have been exciting to have written White Teeth, at the age Zadie Smith wrote it. Its publication lit up the literary sky and lent a heightened visibility to Black British fiction at the time. While many powerful voices went before and have since emerged, her writing inspired many, including me. I have read a few of her other works but harbour a particular affection for her important debut.
The book you wish everyone would read...
The world would be a far better place if everyone read Superior: The Return of Race Science by Angela Saini. It is a tour de force of reason. This non-fiction book explodes the myth that is the foundation of all racism – that Black people are inherently – read genetically – inferior to the white race. Saini writes with a calm, highly informed, authority which greatly enhances the message and I admire her for that. Even at my age, the very concept of racism makes me want to rant, loudly! This book is a much more effective tool in dismantling prejudice.
The book that's got you through a hard time...
Teenage years can be hard and the books we read often linger for a lifetime. I will never forget I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. I came across the moving, shocking, hugely absorbing autobiography of this uber-resilient heroine when I was about 12 or 13. The year before, my father had left following a breakdown; I was struggling. It was the first book by a Black woman that I had read and it represented such a triumph of the human spirit that I could not help but think that life, however tough, might just work out.
The book that uplifts you...
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo has it all. Smart, compelling, intricate yet accessible, pushing the envelope with its fusion fiction and, above all, full of courage and heart. A ground-breaking celebration of Black womanhood that, as soon as you opened it, you realised was long overdue. Bernardine is such an exceptional author that I was thrilled when she cited my own debut, Darling, as one of her Top Three Lockdown Reads on BBC Woman’s Hour - by far the best surprise I enjoyed during this global pandemic!
Darling by Rachel Edwards, published by Fourth Estate, is out now in hardback, paperback, audiobook and ebook.
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