Gloria is a middle-aged black woman who sings a lot but has been committed to a psychiatric ward for disturbing her neighbours. She is mourning the sudden death of her girlfriend, Josie. She is joined in the psychiatric ward by Merle, a young woman depressed by the loss of her baby and perhaps herself too. The narrative alternates between Gloria, Merle and the evil voices in Merle’s head. The description of suboptimal medical care, where patients are expected to conform just to hope to be set free, is saddening. The title refers to the colloquial expression “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings”, meaning that you shouldn’t assume the outcome of an event when it’s not yet over. This is how the book ends, with both patients released on the same day, with nothing yet complete in their new lives but loads of hope.
“I’m going home. Just the thought is enough to make me want to sing. But singing is what caused me all this trouble in the first place and got me on the ward, so I suck my lips and try to keep the sound from bursting out. Can’t help it though. The sound fills up the bus. Soon I am singing like I never sung before.”
Listened to as an audiobook