Afroze returns to her childhood home of Brighton, Zululand, where her mother lies dying. There she confronts her difficult childhood and her painful relationship with her parent from whom she has long been estranged. As the two women negotiate the strong feelings about events from their past, anger, resentment, abandonment, Afroze comes to realise that the reasons her mother sent her away were far more complicated than she realised, closely bound up with gender roles and the fierce struggle against apartheid.

Dala has an impressive talent for evoking place. Her settings and landscapes are vivid with sights, smells and feelings. Both Afroze's childhood home of Brighton and Cape Town, where she enjoys a successful career are rendered with great clarity and verisimilitude. Silvie, Afroze's mother, is a powerful character, full of fire and determination, often at the expense of softer emotions. Her passion is sometimes bitter and acrid, tainted by her sacrifices during her final days, but her story of battling against racism and the founding of the ANC is the strongest thread of the story. Unfortunately, there is less clarity elsewhere, the narrative voice is uneven and some episode are so sketchy it is difficult to see why they were included. But there is some excellent writing and way Dala unpicks complex motivations and the feelings around them, especially after a long time, is delicately and powerfully done.

Interesting premise but I found the prose a bit too writerly. Letting the imagery speak for itself would work better. Thanks for letting me have it. DNF

I did not finish this book but I thank you for the opportunity

This spectacular novel left me in awe! While this narrative made for characters with whom one could relate, the poetic language added depth to already gut wrenching challenges that they faced.