The Pole, 2023, J.M. Coetzee ****

What happens when love tries to bloom between two people who don’t speak the same language, literally and emotionally? In The Pole, Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee explores this fragile, beautiful idea through the unlikely connection between a 70-year-old Polish pianist and Beatriz, a Spanish woman in her late forties, who is unhappily yet securely married.

The story begins in Barcelona, where the Polish artist has been invited to perform. The spark is immediate and one-sided, he is drawn to Beatriz with a quiet, persistent intensity. She, poised and enigmatic, is part of the organizing committee, and what follows

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood, 2016, by Trevor Noah *****

This is not your typical Apartheid story. This is a tale of defiance, resilience, and survival, told with humor so sharp it cuts through the darkest of times. Born a Crime is Trevor Noah’s unfiltered, deeply personal account of his childhood in South Africa, growing up in the shadow of Apartheid and its chaotic aftermath.

At the heart of this story is Trevor’s mother, Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, a warrior in her own right. Born and raised under the brutal oppression of Apartheid, she refused to let the system define her destiny. Against all odds, she carved out a life for herself, defying laws, norms, and expectations. She chose to have a child, a mixed-race child, with a white man at a time when such a union was not just taboo, but illegal. Yet, she was determined that her son would not inherit the burden of Apartheid.

Trevor takes us through his childhood, raised by a mother whose love was fierce and unwavering. She gave him everything she could, shielding him with her wit, wisdom, and unwavering belief that he was meant for something greater. But just when you think the book is solely about Patricia’s fight, Trevor shifts the focus to himself, his experiences as a biracial child navigating

You Can't Get Lost in Cape Town, 1987, Zoë Wicomb

I bought this book a long time ago. I could not read it, I find the writing style difficult, though poetic and a bit confusing. I did not struggle, I left it on my shelf and picked another one. Nevertheless, after reading Dance with a Poor Man's Daughter by Pamela Jooste  a novel that narrates on the ordeal of being "coloured" in apartheid South Africa, which, I enjoyed and highly recommend. Although, I felt there is some aspect of their story missing in the narrative as it is

Dance with a Poor Man's Daughter, 1997, Pamela Jooste *****

Dance with a Poor Man's daughter is the story of one of the "coloured" families forced to relocate from the Cape Town area known as District Six in South Africa during apartheid, told through the eyes of a little girl. 

District 6 Memorial Plaque

ALL WHO PASS

Remember the thousands of people who lived for generations in district six and were forced by law to leave their homes because of the colour of their skins. Remember St. Mark's Church and the community who resisted the destruction of district six. -Hands Off District Six Campaign 11.2.1989

Lily lives with her grand mother, her aunt Stella and uncle Gus-Seep (that is how she calls and spells his name). Her mother Gloria left for Johannesburg because the valley is too small for her. Lily loves her grandmother more than she loves her mother, which she makes clear.

'You don't always like your mother as much as you would like to, do you Lily?' he says and I don't even have to answer him because he knows it's true.

The Group Area Act is approved, Lily and her family are forced to leave their house and move to the flats. Her mother, from Johannesburg hears what is going on and decides to fight in order to make sure that the house where  six to

Disgrace, 1999, J.M. Coetzee *****

David Lurie (white South African) has sexual intercourse with one of his students, Melanie. To say it is consensual is hard, due to the unequal power relationship between both parties. Professor and student. He is expelled. Following the scandal, he visits his grown up daughter in the country side, where she "farms". While he is there, they are attacked by some black South Africans in their own house, something terrible happens. Another scandal, How will he survive this time? The two of them alone in

Sundowners, 2003, Lesley Lokko ***

Sundowners is mainly the story of Rianne, Gaby, Nathalie and Charmaine and the boys they met while at boarding school in England. The story is set around the 80s and early mid 90s. Rianne is a white South-African, whose family is rich with exuberant lifestyle, they use their societal status (rich white privilege in apartheid SA) to take advantage of the less privileged, mostly blacks. She ended up falling in love with Riitho Modise, a black South-African, whose father is a political prisoner.

The story continued with Charmaine, who, not sure what to do with her life ran away with her "boyfriend" to

Fiela's Child, 1985, Dalene Matthee ****

A 3 year old white boy Lukas Van Rooyen got lost in the forest. He was  not found. Almost a decade later during census many kilometres away on the other side of the forest a white child named Benjamin Komoeties was found in the family of coloureds (in South Africa refers to people of mixed ethnic parentage). Was he the missing Lucas? Though, the white officials who carried out the census only cared about was why must a white child live with a black family? They took Benjamin away and was determined to never bring him back. Is Benjamin Komoties really the missing Lucas Van Rooyen?

As the story unfolds we get to see the impact all these changes had on Benjamin's

To My Children's Children, 1990, Sindiwe Magona ***

To My Children's Children is Sindiwe Magona's autobiography that narrates on her growing up and coming of age in South Africa during apartheid. Written as if she is, precisely, narrating her life story to her children's children. Hence, the title. The book started with:

I was born in the Union of South Africa before Great Britain handed over our land to the Afrikaner;..... Then, we were called Natives by polite white people, and kaffirs by the not polite ones, basking in the impunity they enjoyed before the law

Born in rural South Africa life flowed easily, until death interrupted the rhythm. Curiously, at the same time, the Afrikaners came into power bringing along with them their apartheid government that lasted from 1948 to 1994. In the township, where she

Mating Birds, 1986, Lewis Nkosi ****

Mating Birds is a fine poetical writing that narrates on one of the many crimes of apartheid. To start with, the writer's dedication melted my heart:

For my grandmother, Esther Makatini, who washed white people's clothes so that I could learn to write

In form of a diary, a black man on death row for allegedly raping a white woman during apartheid narrates his ordeal. Like a showcase, he is displayed to anyone who wants to know more about him. Most especially, to know what demons impulsed him to even dare think of a sexual experience with a woman of a "superior race". That is how he drew the attention of  Dr. Emile Dufré, a Swiss-German doctor that flew all the way from Europe to inquire about what in his back-ground might have triggered such "reaction". Hence, began his need to keep a diary.
The saddest part of the story is

Mary Okeke speaks to Diane Brown

Diane Brown author of “The Sabi” was born in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Attended the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and studied Social Sciences and Development Planning. And later on Business Administration, Strategic Management and Organisational Development. She currently lives in Johannesburg but will soon be living between Los Angeles and Johannesburg

Mary Okeke: So Diane, are you now a writer by profession?

Diane Brown: I do consider myself a writer now. "The Sabi" is my first published book, but I have written two others which will be published in 2014. I also write for an African Women's magazine based in the UK as well as on commission by various media outlets and on line magazines. Writing is what I do on a daily basis now.

MO: Interesting. How did you come about writing “The Sabi”?

DB: First, writing is in my blood and I always knew that I would write books someday. But the spark for this book came from four separate instances that converged auspiciously last year, but I will speak of two now. My company was contracted to conduct market research for a parastatal in South Africa. A white woman who worked there had a problem with the way African members of my team spoke English. Now you must understand that my team were highly qualified professionals, most with Masters degrees and much experience in their fields. But not only did this women insist we needed "English speakers", she also said that we must remember that white people buy the product so

The Sabi, 2013, Diane Brown ****

"The Sabi" is a true story of the life of a young woman. Who was born in South Africa, into a family of  both African and European heritage when apartheid was in high gear.

Her father, a generous hard working man; nonetheless was harsh and ruled his household with an iron hand. Time without numbers, he pushed the envelope by hitting his wife and daughter violently. Though, she attributed her father's attitude to the violent circumstances of that time.

"I was born into a violent world. I grew up in violence. I live in a violent world. I experienced and witnessed violence in my home, in my school, on the playgrounds, in the streets, among siblings, in relationships, on the television, among parents and everywhere else. In South Africa violence is pandemic, and it is as common a phenomenon and part of our culture and psyche as boerewors, biltong and sunny skies."

Even though, she was born into a family of both African and European descendant, her looks was more like that of an African woman. For that reason, she suffered from more violence and racism. Perhaps, more than her other siblings whose skin were not as dark or whose hairs were not as coarse as hers. Incidents that later on  depressed her adulthood.

"You are beaten for just being black?......But I couldn’t do anything about being black. All I had to do was get up in the morning and I was guilty".

Moreover, as a result of the violence and racism towards her persona, she suffered from a crisis of

Living, Loving and Lying Awake at Night, 1991, Sindiwe Magona ****

Living, Loving and Lying  Awake at Night is a collection of short stories set in apartheid South Africa. Divided into two parts. Part one is a collection of interlinked narratives of African women who were enslaved as housemaids in the houses of their white madams and masters. While, the second part is a collection of short stories along the same line.

Similar to "The Help" by Kathryn Sockett, in apartheid many African women could only aspire to work as housemaid in the house of the whites, where they were disgracefully under-payed and in a never-ending position of indebtedness.  They lived in their working place. That is, a box they called the maid's room and worked twenty-four-seven. If they were lucky enough to have their child with them, at age five he or she was already

No Turning Back: A Novel of South Africa 1995, by Beverley Naidoo ***

This book is written by a South African Author. It is a teenage novel (to them I recommend). It is about how a young boy in order to escape the violence of his abusive step father, he has to shelter with other boys on the street.

This novel  is mainly about his life on the street, how he survived and the important decisions he took about his life.

This book deals with one of the main and the most disturbing topic in Africa; Children living on the street. Expose to danger with no one to care for them. They turn the whole situation into a street life style.

This book is mainly for teenagers.