These Letters End in Tears: A Novel

by Musih Tedji Xaviere

Overview

Set in a country where being gay is punishable by law, These Letters End in Tears is the heart-wrenching forbidden love story of a Christian girl with a rebellious heart and a Muslim girl leading a double life

Bessem notices Fatima for the first time on the soccer field—muscular and focused, she’s the only woman playing and seems completely at ease. When Fatima chases a rogue ball in her direction, Bessem freezes, mesmerized by the athlete’s charm and beauty. One playful wink from Fatima, and Bessem knows her life will never be the same.

Despite an atmosphere of threat due to the criminalization of same-sex relationships in their home country of Cameroon, Fatima and Bessem persevere in living out their love. All seems to be going well, until a police raid at the only gay bar in town leads to Fatima’s disappearance.

Thirteen years later, Bessem is now a university professor leading a relatively quiet life, occasionally and secretly dating other women. However, she has never forgotten Fatima. After spotting a mutual friend for the first time in years—the last person who may have seen Fatima—Bessem embarks on a winding search for her lost love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781646222742
Publisher:	Catapult
Publication date:	06/03/2025
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

MUSIH TEDJI XAVIERE is a Cameroonian fiction writer based in the UK. Her debut novel, These Letters End in Tears, won the 2021 Pontas and JJ Bola Emerging Writers Prize. She is represented by the Pontas Literary and Film Agency.

Editorial Reviews

Cosmopolitan, A LGBTQ+ Books You've Gotta Check Out
Named a Most Anticipated Title by them, Goodreads, Electric Literature, LGBTQ Reads, Autostraddle, & Bookshop

"Powerful and devastating . . . [T]his debut shines a light on the pain and injustice many must face for love." —Karla Strand, Ms.

"A star-crossed lesbian love story with very real stakes, this book is going to make me ugly-cry (complimentary)." —Ilana Masad, them

"Powerful and moving. There are few Cameroonian queer novels, and the bravery it takes to identify as LGBT in a country that persecutes this community is a bold act of queer courage."—Monica Carter, The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide

"A gut punch of a novel. Every now and then one story will consume every part of you and this will do it . . . A beautiful and wrenching story." —Adam Vitcavage, Debutiful

"This debut by Xaviere is heartbreaking—and gorgeous." —Wendy J. Fox, Electric Literature

"This debut is short, tender, and heartbreaking, perfect for fans of The Death of Vivek Oji and This Is How You Lose the Time War." —Marissa Higgins, Literary Hub

"Xaviere’s debut novel evokes intimacy, apprehension, and suspense to deliver a portrayal of sorrow—specifically, the pain of being queer in an unaccepting society—that feels wholeheartedly real, as if reading a friend’s diary . . . Deeply tragic, Xaviere’s novel stands as a literary testimony to injustice, corruption, and violence—all for the preservation of love." —Booklist

"A smart, finely detailed book that contends with not only sexuality, homophobia, and traditional gender roles, but also the legacy of colonialism in West Africa . . . Xaviere’s vivid and moving first novel is a resounding success." —Kirkus Reviews

“A tender, moving portrait of forbidden desire. In deft, clear prose, Xaviere presents us with the devastating and yet redemptive power of love.” —Chukwuebuka Ibeh, author of Blessings

“An engaging debut of a memorable forbidden love beautifully narrated by one of the voices to watch.” —Zukiswa Wanner, author of The Madams

“Xaviere has woven together a needed story about love and how that love gets torn apart by homophobia. In lovely prose and an intimate epistolary style, we follow Bessem's journey in finding her long-lost love.” —Soraya Palmer, author of The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts

"An urgent and devastating story about the cost of living in a place that refuses to recognize your humanity. With vivid and textured prose, Xaviere weaves a tale readers will not soon forget." —Soon Wiley, author of When We Fell Apart

"Musih Tedji Xaviere's debut novel These Letters End In Tears is a beautifully tender, heartfelt story about love and the devastating consequences of a world that is not yet all accepting. Her prose is deft and delicate, pulling you quickly in and holding you, as though you were living it." —JJ Bola, author of The Selfless Act of Breathing

From the Publisher

2024-01-05
A West African woman contends with her sexuality, her past, and the confines of her home.

Xaviere’s debut begins more than a decade after the primary trauma of her protagonist’s life: Bessem, a queer woman from “a part of Cameroon where nothing and no one ever gets out,” was arrested alongside her first love, Fatima, after Fatima’s bigoted brother found the two women kissing. After the arrest, Fatima disappeared, and vague rumors indicate her possible whereabouts: Maybe she was killed, or married off to a man, or ran away. Bessem has spent the years longing for Fatima: “Everyone else is just a way to pass the time until you come back,” she says. At first, Xaviere’s chapters are framed as unmailed letters Bessem has written to Fatima, a narrative device that feels unnecessary and that, in any case, Xaviere seems to lose track of as the novel progresses. Still, this is a minor complaint of a smart, finely detailed book that contends with not only sexuality, homophobia, and traditional gender roles, but also the legacy of colonialism in West Africa. Bessem is caught in an impossible double bind: Now a university professor, she is painstaking in her efforts to hide her sexuality from her colleagues. At the same time, though, Bessem is determined to find out what happened to Fatima—a quest that may put her at risk of outing herself. Unfortunately, Fatima, around whom this story spins, is never fully fleshed out in Xaviere’s telling: She is simultaneously everywhere and nowhere, and despite Bessem’s relentless passion for her, it’s difficult for the reader to fully make out Fatima’s form. Despite the fine storytelling, Fatima’s character remains blurry and unfinished.

Xaviere’s vivid and moving first novel is a resounding success despite a few flaws.

Kirkus Reviews