This study analyses two non-western novels used in the subject of Swedish in upper secondary school: Fatou Diomes The Belly of the Atlantic and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies Half a Yellow Sun. Looking at how the books female main character relate to Stuart Halls theory of cultural identity, I come to the conclusion that they somewhat differently relate to an essential ?authentic? self. Salie talks explicit about a generic African soul that she possesses. Olanna never talks about anything ?authentic?, but her narrative and contrary subject positions can be read as a way of demasking her European ?white? self in favour of a truer Igbo self.