Book Review: "The Unicorn Woman" by Gayl Jones

As you probably know, I'm trying to read a little outside of my comfort zone whilst not reading so far out that I get alienated from the book entirely. I found this book in the 'new additions' section of the library and it looked like nobody had snabbed to read this yet. I had definitely not seen it there the time before and I went only the week before. I'm all for a new book in my own home, but on the shelves of the library it's like new produce. It's a whole new realm of excitement. So, let's take a look at what makes this book great...

After serving as a cook in the United States Army during World War II, Buddy Ray Guy returns to his hometown of Lexington, Kentucky. He hopes that his military service will have changed his standing in society, but he quickly realises that the racial segregation of the Jim Crow South remains as oppressive as ever. Despite risking his life for his country, he is still treated as a second-class citizen. This disillusionment fuels a deep sense of alienation, as he struggles to reconcile his wartime experiences with the harsh reality of life as a Black man in the 1950s American South. Everyone enjoys a post-war disillusionment story: A Moveable Feast and Kafka was the Rage are just two great examples I can think of. I'd recommend this book to fans of that realm of literature first and foremost because of the way the protagonist is presented to us.

One evening, Buddy visits a travelling carnival where he encounters a performer known as the Unicorn Woman. Unlike the grotesque oddities typically displayed in sideshows, she possesses a regal and enigmatic aura, drawing Buddy’s fascination. She has a peculiar horn-like protrusion on her forehead, which the carnival exploits as a bizarre spectacle. Yet, rather than seeing her as an object of ridicule, Buddy perceives something profound and almost mythical about her presence. Her existence challenges his understanding of identity, otherness, and the ways in which society dehumanises those who do not fit conventional norms. This is obviously where the title comes from, but I honestly felt like this was something more than just witnessing someone outside of society, but actually understanding that even though there are different groups of people, there are also people who can thrive outside these groups - and in fact, very far removed from them.

Buddy confides in his Aunt Maggie, a woman deeply rooted in Southern Black traditions and folklore. She listens to his intrigue about the Unicorn Woman and provides her own interpretation, shaped by years of witnessing injustice. Aunt Maggie is a fiercely opinionated woman who detests the racist portrayals of Black people in the media, particularly the popular television programme Amos ’n’ Andy, which she sees as reinforcing damaging stereotypes. In the book, she is definitely Buddy's moral compass and serves as the straightforward talker in the book. She is probably my personal favourite character because of her ability to articulate her own sense of injustice.

Throughout the book, Buddy reflects on his past romantic relationships, particularly his time in France. During the war, he fell in love with Avia, a woman ostracised by her village for having a child with a German soldier. Their shared experience of being outsiders fostered an intense but ultimately transient connection. Though Avia provided him with a sense of belonging at the time, Buddy wonders whether their relationship was built on genuine love or merely the desperation of war. His inability to maintain long-term relationships mirrors his broader struggle to find a place where he truly feels at home. I recently also read 1000 Coils of Fear in which the main character also struggles to find belonging, travelling place to place. This might be a different thing and instead of place to place, it is person to person - but it still travels by the same road. Belonging is a much more complex thing when your soul feels like it doesn't belong.

All in all, I found this book to be really interesting and the more people we meet in the book, the more we understand that underneath the surface, everyone is a complex individual. You first meet characters and experience a sense of sonder before you are let into these lives. It is a wonderful book.