So Long A Letter

So Long a Letter (translated from Une si longue lettre) is a semi-autobiographical novel originally written in French by the Senegalese writer Mariama Bâ. Its theme is the condition of women in Western African society.

So Long a Letter, Mariama Bâ's first novel, is literally written as a long letter. As the novel begins, Ramatoulaye Fall is beginning a letter to her lifelong friend Aissatou Bâ. The occasion for writing is Ramatoulaye's recent widowhood. As she gives her friend the details of her husband's death, she recounts the major events in their lives.

Ramatoulaye's husband, Moudou Fall, died suddenly of a heart attack. Following the strictures of her Muslim faith, Ramatoulaye must remain in seclusion (Mirasse) for a period of forty days. Aissatou, to whom the letter is written, emigrated to the United States and pursued a feminist, monogamist relationship.

The novel is often used in literature classes focusing on women's roles in post-colonial Africa.