In If You Want to Make God Laugh, author Bianca Marais takes us back to 90s post-apartheid South Africa and tells us a emotional story about motherhood and family through the alternating viewpoints of three women. From the first page I was so drawn to all three of them. Their stories and personalities are all so different, but are such a perfect balance against each other. Zodwa lives in squatter camps in the outskirts of Johannesburg, Delilah is a former nun and aid worker, and Ruth is a former stripper, alcoholic and divorcee.

Though their pasts are all different, living lives filled with loss and longing bring them all together. Racism and corruption in the church also affect each of their lives. We don’t learn each woman’s whole story right from the start. And it’s these missing pieces, along with the short chapters, that kept me turning the pages.

Read the story of these three women. You will laugh and cry with them. They will make you angry and they will make you proud. After loving Hum If You Don’t Know the Words as much as I did, I’m not surprised that If You Want to Make God Laugh was a total winner for me. If You Want to Make God Laugh is out July 16th.

Thank you Netgalley and Putnam for the free digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

After reading two of Bianca Marais' books, I'm now a true fan of hers. I read this with a book group after reading her earlier book, Hum If You Don't Know the Words.

This is a deeply moving story of three women who grow to look out for each other and be connected (or reconnected) in each other's lives through a series of events (or a stroke of fate, depending on your outlook).

Zodwa is a young black woman living in a poor area of South Africa who feels love for another woman. In a sad turn of events, she is punished for her love and raped, and births a child through this. Her mother takes the baby away and leaves him in the hands of a woman she once knew.

Delilah and Ruth are sisters, but as different as can be. Delilah suffered trauma when she sought to begin life as a nun, and was excommunicated, losing someone very important to her in the process. She leaves missionary work later an ends up living with Ruth, who she is initially at odds with. Ruth is about to go through a divorce and has also experienced a tough past. Their personalities are nothing alike.

Through the path the baby's life takes, all of these women's fates become connected,, or further connected.

I was invested in each of the characters' stories. Bianca Marais also weaves in interesting ideas about race, motherhood, siblings, sexuality, trauma, and the HIV positive population in South Africa.

I will not soon forget these characters and their stories, and I highly recommend this book!

"She knows too that there is no such things as curses; they're just self-inflicted prisons that only have power over us as long as we believe in them. Our luck is what we make of it and all we can ever do is make the most of the time we have."

LAUGH follows the lives of three South African women, each running from their past and looking for peace. These three women's lives will eventually intersect and when they do, hold on because it is a wild ride.

Some authors can write entertaining stories and sometimes that's all we need but sometimes, authors come along that can write stories that do more: that make us hurt because we can feel the pain the characters feel, that transport us into a world different than our own, and that open their hearts on the page for us to witness and be amazed by. Bianca does this. I was admittedly skeptical because of how much I loved HUM but I absolutely loved this book.

If You Want to Make God Laugh is out July 16th! If you haven't already read HUM you have a little time before this one is published. So, go!

This book ripped my heart out a few times and generously gave it back to me all broken and bruised. It's so beautifully written, and explores motherhood and family so well.

If you read Marais' debut novel ,you'll be happy to see some characters return, and they sit alongside three new women - Delilah, Ruth, and Zodwa, Each of their stories works so well within the other two, letting the reader see every possible angle to a situation.

Bianca Marais is a masterful storyteller. Her characters are rich, their stories are rich and it's wonderfully pulled together to make for an amazing reading experience. I loved Hum if You Don't Know the Words and and I loved this book as well - Bianca has a way of transporting you into the world that she writes about because the descriptions are so vivid - detailed and complete. I loved seeing how Zodwa, Ruth, and Delilah became interconnected and linked. With multiple perspective books it can sometimes feel difficult to keep track of each story but with this book, you see the connections fairly early on. Each revelation was like an aha! moment. I love the little cameos that Beauty and Robin made (character's from Bianca's first book). I can go on and on about this book because it's so easy to be passionate about - Bianca Marais is definitely an auto-buy author for me!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I read and loved <i>Hum If You Don't Know the Words</i> so was thrilled to be approved to read this title. Marais did not disappoint. 4.5 but rounding up as each time I put this compelling book down, I could not wait to pick it up again. My only criticism is that this book was chock full of--everything. No spoiler from me, but I wonder if one particular thread were removed, would it have been any less powerful or enjoyable or altered the storyline too much?

To name a few: Racism. Poverty. Rape. AIDS. Homophobia. The priesthood. Love.

South Africa on the eve of Mandela's victory. The lives of three women intersect. Each characters is well-drawn and has her own story. Two white, privileged sisters in their 50s. One downtrodden 17-year old South African woman who lives in a squatter camp outside Johannesburg. Addtionally, there are others--male and female--who influence the trajectory of the plot.

Secrets play a significant role in this often heartbreaking novel.

Several times, I thought I knew what was coming--and I was correct, but didn't care [though this is often a detraction for me].

Some of the prose I loved because it conjured up so much.

"Some signs have saved my life while others reminded me that I had a life worth saving."

"[her mother's remains] "Remains, but of what? What remains when a small life ends too soon?"

"She soaked up the world around her, becoming bloated with knowledge like a little intellectural tick..."

And, towards the end, I must say I was tearing up.

I heartily recommend this book.

This is the second book I have read by this author, and have loved reading each one. She brings together some of the turbulent times in Africa, by the means of fascinating characters and times in history. She is a wonderful story teller, who draws from life experiences and sometimes drawing from true characters to develop some of her characters.
This book is mainly about 3 different women who end up living together, Zodwa, Ruth and Delilah. Ruth and Delilah are sister who have been estranged for many years, each with secrets of their own, and both ending up going back to their childhood home. Zodwa is a young African girl, who's mother used to work for the sisters family when they were growing up, and who is on a mission of her own. These characters come together through unforeseen circumstances, which will draw you into their stories.
This story deals with the stigma of sexual preference, illness, and having to deal with the effects of racism, family relationships and the power of love. It takes place in Africa towards the end of apartheid and the election of Mandela as president.
A great emotional story line with each of these characters, which had me glued to the story wanting to know more about what would happen next.
I hope the author will keep writing stories about her homeland as she has a way of making her stories, not only give us a piece of history, but always so interesting in an everyday setting.
I would like to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC of this book.

Wow. An emotional and powerful novel.. The story takes place in South Africa in the early/mid 90s during the transition when the apartheid ended. This novel hit on several deep, emotionally challenging topics. Racism, family conflict, HIV, rape. Having not read many novels during this era or setting, I quickly became immersed and captivated into the story. Three female characters, each with their own issues, become beautifully intertwined. Highly recommend. I will be following this author for future reads!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Another beautiful story from Bianca with unforgettable characters that will tear at your heart. You can't help but get caught up in the stories of three very different women, Ruth, Delilah and Zodwa and how they deal with love and loss set against the backdrop of South Africa. When I finally had time in my schedule for a chunk of time for reading, I blazed through the book unable to put it down. As I felt after reading Hum If You Don't Know the Words, finishing If You Want to Make God Laugh made me want even more.

I have been recommending this book to everyone in my book club and I'm pretty sure we will be reading it sometime this year as a group.

A storyline to capture your soul.

Zodwa Khumalo is seventeen-years-old and has discovered that she is pregnant. She hopes that by visiting the sangoma or witch doctor and drinking the herbal mixture, she's given it will abort the baby. Unfortunately, the muti doesn't work, and the pregnancy that should never have happened will go ahead.

Delilah Ferguson is working in a refugee centre in Zaire when a letter arrives with news that someone she cares for deeply, has been shot and is in a coma. She leaves the camp and rushes back to South Africa, with the hope that she will not be too late to see the person as she desperately needs their forgiveness. She moves back to the family farm she’d left some forty years before

Ruth is an alcoholic. She's married to Vince and until recently, has lived in the upmarket suburb of Clifton, Cape Town. Vince has grown tired of giving her second chances and has instigated the divorce because he just can't cope with the constant drinking. She decides to return to the town of her birth.

The women have not had any contact for years, and it's a massive shock for them to find themselves living under the same roof. Ruth's drinking is an irritation for Delilah and Delilah’s staid ways equally irksome for Ruth.

Their lives change forever when on 10 May 1994, they find a newborn baby, accompanied by a huge black German Shepherd cross at the front door.

Bianca Marais has linked tumultuous events in South Africa to capture each characters' relationship as the events unfold, beginning with the release of Nelson Mandela. The next major event; South Africans of all colours, queuing alongside each other, waiting to enter their cross next to their chosen candidate and party to win the first real election that took place on 27 April 1994. A day that will remain fixed in my memory as I too sang and danced my way to vote

Zodwa gave birth to her baby on the most auspicious day in South Africa, Nelson Mandela's inauguration as President on 10 May 1994. The lives of Zodwa, Delilah and Ruth will be linked from that day forward.

This hugely gifted author could have succeeded by merely giving us the story of how the birth of this baby changed the lives of each of the women, but she's added other threads. Delilah’s conversion to Catholicism and her subsequent decision to become a nun. Her excommunication along with its life-changing consequences

Ruth’s past as a famous striptease dancer and her decline into alcoholism.

Zodwa coming to terms with the truth of who she is and what it means in a traditional Black culture.

I lived each of these women’s pain and cheered their survival and strength and their willingness to embrace change regardless of how hard it would be.

HIV/AIDS was in its infancy stages during this period. A cure was a long way away, and the diagnosis of this dreaded disease was an instant death sentence. The pandemic changed each of the women. They had to take stock of their lives and decide what was worth fighting for.

I found it quite eerie that Bianca Marais could have almost had me in mind while she wrote this book. It's had a massive impact on me, and hopefully, you dear reader will find the same happens for you as the threads of the book sink into every fibre of your body and soul.

A book to list in my top five best reads of all time.

Treebeard

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

This novel set in South Africa, as apartheid is officially over and Nelson Mandela is being elected president, is fascinating. It looks at numerous important issues, such as interracial relationships, motherhood, sisterhood, the power of the church, lesbianism, rape, AIDS, neo-Nazi gangs and more. It is definitely a woman's book in this regard; all main characters are female. It has a tightly crafted plot, much like a jigsaw puzzle, where every piece fits at the end. I admired the author for her skill in this regard.

The book follows three women -- two childless white sisters in their 50's, and an 18-year-old black woman. The black woman gives birth to a baby, and her mother leaves it on the doorstep of the white sisters. They then must deal with their lifelong issues about motherhood, racism, and the resentful relationship between the two of them.

I would really give this 4.5 stars if possible, because I had a hard time liking any of the main characters. They all face a total lack of self-esteem, which leads to few cheery moments and an overall sense of gloom and despair. Short chapters switch between each of the three women, which I found to be disruptive, especially since some characters use first person and others third. However, we do see a great deal of transformation (spiritual, emotional, social) in each of the women, which is what makes the ending powerful and satisfying.

The plot moves on at an engaging clip, and there are some lovely passages of insight. For instance, "Sometimes all we need is to be seen in order to blossom. Just be seen, nothing more." Here's another. "Her expression was one of such judgment that I couldn't find words to reply." "When it comes to these kinds of prejudices, you don't need to be one of the idiots actively shouting your racism from the rooftops; silence and inertia are collusion, and I will be complicit no longer." "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." So true...

I felt that some of the plot devices were a bit much. Having two women raped (under different circumstances), getting pregnant from a single rape, and ending up without their babies; a woman contracting AIDS from a single sexual encounter, etc. I loved a surprise twist at the end, however, which added a new dimension to viewing the apartheid struggle. Also, the three main characters almost seemed like three facets of the same person in their attitude to life. I wasn't completely convinced that the author understood in her bones what it means to be a lesbian teenager, or an addict, or a nun.

Still, I'm very glad that I persisted in finishing this book. Recommended. And thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of this novel.

Another incredible novel by Bianca Marais! She has an exceptional way of bringing unlikely characters together and building meaningful, powerful relationships. You can't help but fall in love with all the characters, flawed or not, as they go through revelatory experiences and find the courage and compassion to transcend barriers. I also loved learning about South Africa post apartheid and seeing a more personal look at the HIV crisis that happened there. Highly recommend reading the author note where Marais explains her motivations behind this story. Bianca Marais is officially an auto buy author for me!

I loved this book, and Bianca Marais is now officially one of my always buy authors. I read If You Want to Make God Laugh in two days and probably would've read it in one if I didn't need to wake up early. I love books told from multiple perspectives, and I think each of the narrators in this book was interesting and easily distinguishable from one another. I loved Delilah, and the slow revelation of her story. I also loved the parallels and contrasts between Delilah and Zodwa. I loved Ruth's slow revelations into her own privileged interpretations of racism and the contrast between her thoughts at Mandla's first birthday and her realization during Mandla's hospital stay. I loved the themes of motherhood, loss, race, sexuality and spirituality sprinkled throughout the book. I also loved just how readable it was. Though Marais picked some heavy topics, she managed to write a book that was pleasant to read without compromising some of the themes she incorporated. I'll definitely be eagerly awaiting this one's publication so I can read it again and recommend it to others.

"If You Want To Make God Laugh” is the story of three women in South Africa whose lives intertwine in an awesome narrative that grabbed my your interest from the very beginning. The main storyline is about love, AIDS, secrets, heartbreak and the things mothers will do to protect their children. It also touches on the election of Mandela as president and the ending of apartheid. This is a terrific novel and a very moving story that I didn’t want to end. I highly recommend it! I was fortunate to receive this novel from Netgalley as an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an objective review.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for allowing me to read this book for my honest opinion.
The story is about three women residing in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their lives are linked together because of an infant baby. This infant belongs to a 17 year old named Zodwa.
Zodwa lives in a squatter camp and is in desperate poverty. Her entire surroundings are in the midst of the HIV epidemic. She has secrets that she is protecting.
There is no way that you can't involve your heart in this story. These three women who are taking care of this infant and each live is involved with one another in so many ways. You will find yourself right there with them.

I loved this book which was set in South Africa and deals in small ways with the ending of apartheid and the election of Mandela as the first Black president. Most importantly, it is a story about mothers, children, love, secrets and heartache, and the lengths mothers will go to to protect their children.

Written in the voices of the three main characters, each woman has her own issues and her own stories to tell. The three women are brought together by their mutual devotion and love for a child that enters their lives in an unexpected way. Written with tenderness and a knowledge of South Africa and its violent ways, If You Want to Make God Laugh is moving story that will grab your interest from the very beginning.

A fascinating story, wonderfully written. I loved Ms Marais's debut novel, Hum if You Don't Know the Words, and like many other readers I wanted to know more about what happened to the characters in Hum, and wondered if I'd be as engaged with another set of characters in a different time period. I was not disappointed! The 3 women who are the main characters in this novel grabbed my attention immediately and I devoured the book. Towards the end, I slowed down, I didn't want it to end. And yes, you do learn a bit about the characters from Hum along the way. Thank you for this story Bianca. I look forward to many more!