The issue of female circumcision was catapulted into the mainstream after the publication of Alice Walker's novel Possessing the Secret of Joy in 1992. Although Walker garnered much support for her depiction and denunciation of the ritual, many others decried her almost missionary-like stance. Excising the Spirit explores this sensitive issue by analysing it from both inside and outside the ritual community. Each of the texts chosen offers a very specific insight into the complexities surrounding female circumcision and shows how writers grapple with them.