OUGAT, from a hoe into a housewife and then some

227pp., paperback, Johannesburg, 2021

Shana Fife's memoir about growing up on the Cape Flats and surviving sexual violence and depression.

"There’s an entire generation of South African women who ought to read this book, for in it they will find themselves and hopefully forgive themselves for believing every lie ever told about them and every expectation ever imposed on them simply by virtue of their having a vagina. Fife's candour in telling her story with such searing honesty is both exciting and empowering - her voice is an important one in our collective journey as women of colour to healing and, ultimately, acceptance of ourselves just as we are. Ougat is breathtakingly frank, unapologetically honest, and refreshingly relatable."  Sara-Jayne King, author of Killing Karoline

"A bold, unapologetic memoir about abuse, coming-of-age, a woman owning her sexuality and seizing her power. Shana Fife has a unique and compelling voice, which she uses with great effect to break with gender and sexuality taboos." Barbara Boswell, author of Grace: a novel

Shana Fife is a work-from-home mother who runs the successful blog, Into a Housewife, and does content production for various businesses. She is a 2019 fellow of the Jakes Gerwel Foundation and NB Publishers’ mentorship programme. Ougat is her first book.