Maybe I could best describe the book by describing some of the personalities in the book.
First, there's Chioma, a 16-year-old black girl-woman in apartheid Africa, beset by grief for one dear one after another lost to her. Courageous, beautiful, sincere, angry--and seeking.
Then there's Andrew, the baas's son, attracted to this lovely black girl-woman against his own better judgment. Brought suddenly to honesty and adulthood by circumstances wildly out of his control.
Enter Themba--strong, attractive, domineering, and sometimes tender. Hating, killing, stealing, dedicated to the violent overthrow of the Afrikaners.
Emma--how does she enter into the picture? Faithful to her God, frightened of these violent intruders, yet able to offer love. Will she be able to win Chioma to a white man's God?
These characters were so real I could see them, hear them, even smell their fear and anger.
This book alternately invoked grief, hope, fear, and joy. I found myself interwoven with the characters, living with them in their lives, occasionally wanting to scream out, "NO! Don't do that! Please, not that! Dear God, open their eyes!"
Thank you, Kathi. You've done it again.
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