The way of one strong-in-spirit girl is interwoven with the way of her country. But while Persomi grows and matures, South Africa is in turmoil and in the beginning of the sad period of apartheid. How can country enters into such politics? And what can one woman do in the fight for the right thing, when the right thing has a price tag?

This is compelling and strong story, written with an understated elegance and quiet strength of character. Persomi, young, poor and uneducated, is only thirteen when she stands in front of the court to give her testimony about the abuse within her family. And from on, she continues her way in dignity. She holds her head high and offers her authentic ways to others (and my guess is that they grow because of her example). This strength is remarkable and one needs to step back and think to see the whole mosaic of such a light. Because Persomi's character is described with understated prose and without any fanfares, so her courage, intelligence and backbone is visible while reading, but so much more shining when thinking about the story.

Unfortunately, her country is entering one of the darker parts of its history - apartheid. Former history teacher Ms Joubert can offer the background to the political unrest during the Second World War and the racial strives. And I am once again reminded of the fact that the history of a certain period had started long before said point, as ot involves many sequences and consequences.

But, even I am verifiably impressed, I go for the 4 stars - for the personal point: I am not a fan of the quiet romance of the book. While a story like that certainly has its strengths, yet - there was such a compelling romance in the authoress (wonderful and recommended) novel "The Girl From the Train", that I was hoping for something like that here, too.

Having said that, I still very much recommend this novel. Because there is a time in every life to fight a right fight or two, and the prices of the might be heavy - and some dignity and authenticity can only help to decide!

Child of the River starts heavy by dealing with childhood sexual abuse, however it is not graphic and moves on from the matter fairly quickly. Readers who push past the beginning find an enjoyable novel as well as heavy matters of race and equality in mid-1900s South Africa. Joubert does a fantastic job of weaving these issues into the life of Persomi Pieterse, who is a strong female lead- defying the odds stacked against her. Persomi's deep concern for the oppressed and spit fire attitude endears her to readers, who root for her to be as successful as she sets out to be. Child of the River is a thoughtful and provoking novel, a extraordinary read to be savored.

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Child of the River. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Pérsomi Pieterse is a girl, on the cusp of womanhood, whose hopes and dreams for the future are much bigger than the small world of her childhood. As a poor child of sharecroppers working a large farm, Pérsomi uses books and newspapers to escape the drudgery of her life. Given the extraordinary opportunity of higher education, Pérsomi's life opens up in ways that she never dreamed possible. With many struggles, challenges, and heartaches, will Pérsomi be able to garner the strength and determination to move forward?

Author Irma Joubert has once again created a rich environment and strong characters in a historical fiction setting. Readers are transported to South Africa during World War II, with strong details regarding the daily existence and struggles for many of its citizens. Pérsomi comes alive in this world, as she changes and grows. Child of the River gives readers a unique perspective of a country removed from the fighting geographically during World War II, but very much in the war regardless. Prejudice and the entitlement of the whites over their Indian neighbors shows the path that South Africa took toward apartheid.

I highly recommend Child of the River, as well as the author's previous novel The Girl From the Train, and I look forward to reading more Irma Joubert in the future.

Persomi is a poor bywoner's daughter in South Africa in the 1940's, when her older brother, Gerbrand, leaves home to find work in the city, and her troubled family is torn apart by her step-father's drunkeness and abuse, her whole life changes. Persomi earns a scholarship to continue her education, and a whole new world opens up to her, giving her hope beyond her humble upbringing.

Persomi excels at her studies, but her visits home remind her of the broken home she left behind. She treasures the letters from her brother who has joined the military to support his family. She is able to continue her education with the help of a mysterious sponsor, as the political climate becomes more and more tense with the stories that come from the north.

A story about a strong, resilient young woman, who rises above the circumstances of her birth and status, to fight for equality in South Africa, and find a home for her heart.

Originally a best-seller in the Netherlands and South Africa where it was titled simply Persomi, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I was intrigued by the South African setting. I was not at all prepared to go through the emotional roller coaster that this book took me on. I instantly liked Persomi, she is clever and dreams of the world that her brother walks in, wanting to see the world as more than a bywoner's daughter, but wonders what it is to be a "real person." Persomi adores her older brother Gerbrand, who takes her under his wing, and introduces her to his friends.

It was hard at first to keep all the characters straight, because of how they respectfully call older friends Aunt, Oom, Ouma, and Oupa, so at first I had some trouble figuring out who belonged to what family, but I caught on the more I read. And there are so many characters, and as they years go by their lives intermingle and entwine, through children, marriage, and love.

Persomi shows strength and determination throughout this book, as it follows decades of her life, as she goes from a girl who runs from trouble to a woman who stands up for others in the face of adversity. She sees unspeakable things and injustices that shape her life, making life long friends along the way like Reinier, Christine, Yusuf, De Wet, and Boelie.

Reinier is her faithful friend and companion, smitten with Irene Fourie, but ever Persomi's true friend. Boelie is passionate about farming, and has a love for the land that his grandfather sees in him, Persomi talks to him in Gerbrand's absence and finds within him a kindred spirit of sorts despite the fact that they agree to disagree about politics. Yusuf is a young man with a dream, and full of hope and grit to make it happen, he in his own journey reminded me a lot of Persomi. I think two of the most underrated friends that Persomi has are Christine and De Wet, De Wet loves Christine fiercely, and he has a good heart, he is a stable and steady friend to depend upon.

This book covers so much and is like s slideshow of snapshots from the pivotal moments in Persomi's life, as it travels through the decades, experiences, friendships, and heartbreaks. At times it was hard to read, because it just seemed like the bad things that happened to Persomi and her family would never end, though it realistically showed the uphill battle she was fighting, and I admired her pluck and determination. I was spellbound by Ms. Joubert's storytelling, fascinated by how much I was learning about a place I had never thought much about during that particular time period, I didn't want to put this book down, there were moments when I was sure that it had my heart in a vice grip! It is a masterful story of hard times, heartache, triumph, defeat, and hope. I would highly recommend this riveting novel, it exceeded my humble expectations, and completely blew me away! A book I will remember for a long time.



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This was interesting from a variety of perspectives but I most appreciated the insight into life in South Africa during this difficult period. Persomi is a well written and highly sympathetic character; I felt her travails. THanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I am always fascinated with historical fiction and with fiction set in Africa and this filled both quotients, quite admirably. You'll learn a bit, which is a bonus, as you enjoy this well written novel. Thumbs up!

This book was so full of different emotions. I found myself totally intrigued to the very end about how Persomi's life would end up. I couldn't believe all of the crazy stuff she dealt with in her lifetime. But I loved watching her persevere through the hard times and celebrate in the good. I loved her passion for her family and for her education. And even though not every page went the way I would have wanted it to I still really loved how she pulled everything together in the end.

I read this book for free through NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

Did not finish this book and therefore did not write a review. The book was not for me. Not my personal preference.