A MOTHERIST EVALUATION OF BINWELL SINYANGWE'S, A COWRIE OF HOPE

Single parenting can be challenging particularly for widows in Africa. These challenges can produce some effects on the single-parent family. Studies that have examined the challenges of single parenting posit that it has negative effects. However, there is the need to reevaluate the phenomenon to determine whether it has any form of positive effects in addition to its negative effects and highlight the coping strategies employed by the single mother as well as her daughter. The study interrogates Binwell Sinyangwe’s A Cowrie of Hope using a motherist approach. The study employed an in-depth textual analysis to hinge the effects and coping strategies of the single- parent family. Further, the widowed-single parent encounters economic hardship and emotional distress but her experiences motivate her to be hardworking. The study concludes that single parenting, though not the best, can however have some positive effects depending on how individuals react to the situation. The negative attitude of the society towards a widow, can have adverse effects on the widow and her children. Family members of a deceased should therefore treat widows well so that their children can acquire bright futures.