The Inheritors: An Intimate Portrait of South Africa's Racial Reckoning
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- Author：Eve Fairbanks
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Summary
A dozen years in the making， The Inheritors weaves together the stories of three ordinary South Africans over five tumultuous decades in a sweeping and exquisite look at what really happens when a country resolves to end white supremacy。
Dipuo grew up on the south side of a mine dump that segregated Johannesburg’s black townships from the white-only city。 Some nights， she hiked to the top。 To a South African teenager in the 1980s—even an anti-apartheid activist like Dipuo—the divide that separated her from the glittering lights on the other side appeared eternal。 But in 1994， the world’s last explicit racial segregationist regime collapsed to make way for something unprecedented。
With penetrating psychological insight， intimate reporting， and bewitching prose， The Inheritors tells the story of a country in the throes of a great reckoning。 Through the lives of Dipuo， her daughter Malaika， and Christo—one of the last white South Africans drafted to fight for the apartheid regime—award-winning journalist Eve Fairbanks probes what happens when people once locked into certain kinds of power relations find their status shifting。 Observing subtle truths about race and power that extend well beyond national borders， she explores questions that preoccupy so many of us today: How can we let go of our pasts， as individuals and as countries？ How should historical debts be paid？ And how can a person live an honorable life in a society that—for better or worse—they no longer recognize？
Dipuo grew up on the south side of a mine dump that segregated Johannesburg’s black townships from the white-only city。 Some nights， she hiked to the top。 To a South African teenager in the 1980s—even an anti-apartheid activist like Dipuo—the divide that separated her from the glittering lights on the other side appeared eternal。 But in 1994， the world’s last explicit racial segregationist regime collapsed to make way for something unprecedented。
With penetrating psychological insight， intimate reporting， and bewitching prose， The Inheritors tells the story of a country in the throes of a great reckoning。 Through the lives of Dipuo， her daughter Malaika， and Christo—one of the last white South Africans drafted to fight for the apartheid regime—award-winning journalist Eve Fairbanks probes what happens when people once locked into certain kinds of power relations find their status shifting。 Observing subtle truths about race and power that extend well beyond national borders， she explores questions that preoccupy so many of us today: How can we let go of our pasts， as individuals and as countries？ How should historical debts be paid？ And how can a person live an honorable life in a society that—for better or worse—they no longer recognize？
Reviews
Hunter Quinn
，
What a moving book。 Filled with love for South Africa's people， Fairbanks asks the thorny question， "How lasting is political liberation， and what are its effects on the participants？" I was impressed by the candid nature of the people Fairbanks interviewed。 Fairbanks lets the people speak， and never inserts her own conclusion。 Her interviewers say shocking， hard， and sad things; Fairbanks gives neither solution nor judgment。 At the end of each section， I was reminded of the biblical phrase， "Le What a moving book。 Filled with love for South Africa's people， Fairbanks asks the thorny question， "How lasting is political liberation， and what are its effects on the participants？" I was impressed by the candid nature of the people Fairbanks interviewed。 Fairbanks lets the people speak， and never inserts her own conclusion。 Her interviewers say shocking， hard， and sad things; Fairbanks gives neither solution nor judgment。 At the end of each section， I was reminded of the biblical phrase， "Let the reader understand。" 。。。more
Cathy Cole
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I just want to express my appreciation for your book， The Inheritors。 So enlightening and valuable in my ongoing understanding of the impact of any forms of racial disparities and treatment。 The insights into the psychological reactions of many White South Africans helped me understand why no one would engage with me in conversation about apartheid and post apartheid。 What fascinating examples of trauma response and the dynamics of guilt related to being forgiven and understood。 A brilliant piec I just want to express my appreciation for your book， The Inheritors。 So enlightening and valuable in my ongoing understanding of the impact of any forms of racial disparities and treatment。 The insights into the psychological reactions of many White South Africans helped me understand why no one would engage with me in conversation about apartheid and post apartheid。 What fascinating examples of trauma response and the dynamics of guilt related to being forgiven and understood。 A brilliant piece of work that often left me speechless。Cathy C USA 。。。more
Woollythinker
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I have extremely mixed feelings about this book。 I bought it on the strength of a long excerpt published in The Guardian， about SA's black farmers。 That piece was sharp， insightful， nuanced， and deeply empathetic， but while those strengths are present in the book， overall it is let down by the writer's apparent insistence on first drawing her conclusions （in a form of crowd psychoanalysis）， and interpreting what people actually say to support that。 It's often a bit more than a reach; she'll pres I have extremely mixed feelings about this book。 I bought it on the strength of a long excerpt published in The Guardian， about SA's black farmers。 That piece was sharp， insightful， nuanced， and deeply empathetic， but while those strengths are present in the book， overall it is let down by the writer's apparent insistence on first drawing her conclusions （in a form of crowd psychoanalysis）， and interpreting what people actually say to support that。 It's often a bit more than a reach; she'll present a quote， then say "in other words" and write a paragraph that bears absolutely no resemblance whatsoever to the words or substance of that quote。 The outsider perspective on SA （Fairbanks is American） is of course valuable in pointing out much of the the deep dysfunction of SA society。 And she can't be accused of a superficial view; she has truly immersed herself in the country， over time， through historical as well as contemporary research。 But her interpretations can range from facile to bizarre。 Given the profoundly racialized impact of HIV in SA in the 1990s， there's nothing racist about the preponderance of safe sex campaigning in the townships。 Similarly， she cites statistics that South African suburbs were "no less safe" than any European city at that time – 1990s-2000s – along with a discrepancy between police records and self-reported incidents， concluding that many reports of home break-ins were fantasies。 Not lies: she claims that white South Africans actually *imagined* that they had experienced these invasions， to support an internal narrative of victimhood。 I don't know what's behind the statistical discrepancy but I am very sure that there was no mass hallucination。 That would be one hell of a story， but she presents zero evidence。 Similarly， having moved from SA to London in 2002， I'd strongly disagree with the notion that London was just as unsafe; I don't think it's normal， in Europe， to know multiple murder victims。 South Africans often do。 Not that I'd want to dwell on the crime rate。 Crime is a symptom of deep inequality， deprivation and racial trauma， and that is rightly the focus of this book。 But these unmotivated claims threw me， as a reader， and made it harder to embrace her overall narrative。 I also got frustrated by what reads as no-win judgment of white South Africans: the progressives are hypocrites， the racists are at least honest – even as she acknowledges the bind progressives are in （there's literally nothing you can do， as an individual， to live "fairly" in this desperately unequal society）。 One other criticism is perhaps an inevitable result of its strength: SA's intricately layered racial structure is reduced to simply black vs Afrikaner。 English whites， coloureds or Indians are not really even mentioned。 That seems like a notable omission， though most of the text is given over to the in-depth narratives of just three people （a member of the 32 Battalion who joined just too late to see actual combat; a Sowetan freedom fighter and her Africanist daughter）。 Adding more characters would have reduced the scope to do them justice。 But it contributed to my sense that the whole book was an exercise in projecting the author's American perspective of racial conflict onto South Africa。 。。。more
Johanna R。
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This marvelous book （my reading group loved it） takes us on a journey across the post Apartheid landscape of South Africa with three main protagonists as companions but many other characters along the way。 These people live on the other side of the chasm created by the political earthquake that ended white rule and the book shows with deep psychological understanding how they look back with mixed feelings。 It is in part a study of what happens after the crossing ， when the new reality must still This marvelous book （my reading group loved it） takes us on a journey across the post Apartheid landscape of South Africa with three main protagonists as companions but many other characters along the way。 These people live on the other side of the chasm created by the political earthquake that ended white rule and the book shows with deep psychological understanding how they look back with mixed feelings。 It is in part a study of what happens after the crossing ， when the new reality must still co exist with the old dream， because they are close in time。 The disorientation many feel in this new world is vividly described。 The book is so vibrant and earthy because it gives the things of daily life the importance they deserve， like an anthropologist would。 Like Tom Wolfe did。 Clothes， social status， household decor， the way soap operas form expectations of love， the way children grow and separate from parents。 It always surprises with these details whose significance we suddenly see。 How is it relevant to our situation？ The sympathetic and forgiving way the book looks at people on both sides of the apartheid divide can be a guide to us ， an invitation to see the full humanity of our opponents 。 Wouldn’t it be a better world if we could？ 。。。more
Ron
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"The Inheritors" by Eve Fairbanks。The title refers to the generation that lives in the post-apartheid era in South Africa， e。g。， 1994-present。 The book is a personalized history - or better， a recounting - of this era through the eyes of several people。 This is an extremely well-written and timely book and I cannot recommend enough。 IMHO， this is a book that is relevant for Americans as it shines a mirror on our own situation so bright it may as well be a panel on the James Webb telescope。I thin "The Inheritors" by Eve Fairbanks。The title refers to the generation that lives in the post-apartheid era in South Africa， e。g。， 1994-present。 The book is a personalized history - or better， a recounting - of this era through the eyes of several people。 This is an extremely well-written and timely book and I cannot recommend enough。 IMHO， this is a book that is relevant for Americans as it shines a mirror on our own situation so bright it may as well be a panel on the James Webb telescope。I think "The Inheritors" serves as an effective rebuttal to a constant refrain we hear a lot from the Right: why should we further liberalize society when you look at a place like South Africa and when liberalized things have just gone to Hell？ What Fairbanks ably demonstrates is that SA was never liberalized as much as you think and that troubles there are not all， or even close to all， the fault of elected ANC leaders。 The two main protagonists are Gen-Xers who grew up during apartheid: Dipuo， a resident of Soweto， anti-apartheid activist （sometimes violent）， and mother to Malaika in her early 20's， from her first consensual sexual encounter; and Christou， a child of white farmers who was one of the last SA Special Forces trained for war in Angola。 In both case， the end of apartheid turned their worlds upside down in ways neither could have imagined。For Dipuo， the end of apartheid was supposed to bring new opportunities and a better life。 Instead， she remains in the squalor of Soweto。 She has the occasional success， getting jobs with an NGO and as an executive assistant in a private firm， only to lose it all。 Around her， she sees whites who have given up very little in exchange for a new， non-pariah status。 Her daughter Malaika is educated in a formerly white school but is still treated as an Other。 Malaika eventually becomes an activist in her own right， and receives what is insincere plaudits from white audiences。For Christou， who was expecting to thrive in the Border Wars as part of the lionized 3-2 Special Forces Battalion， the end of apartheid came suddenly， without warning， and with terrible consequences for Christou。 Upon completion of his training， his transport to Angola is canceled at the last minute and his Battalion， the heroes of the white regime， is labeled an "embarrassment" by F W de Klerk and other leaders eager to see the end of apartheid。 Christou becomes part of a detachment with pro-Western Angolans and kills a homeless man in the confusion。 Christou is now considered a murderer and must defend himself。 Eventually he does and becomes an attorney， but in the backlash of his and his peers becoming paraiahs， is taken with Afrikaner pride and becomes a dorm father at the Free State University in Bloemfontain for an all-white Afrikaner-themed dorm。 His experiences seem to haunt him and also seem to be a microcosm for the white population in post-apartheid SA。The point is that so many people are disappointed: Blacks who dreamed of at least sharing in the country's vast wealth do not seem better off and in many cases seem worse off （save for a few Black "Diamonds"; whites who only see potholes and have increased fear of crime。 The truth， as Fairbanks explains， is quite convoluted and SA is merely a small player in the world and subject to its whims。 Apartheid ended not because of violent struggle but because white SA was being economically strangled by powerful foreigners who had had about enough of apartheid。 Black and White elites who guided the country through transition agreed that sudden and violent redistribution of wealth would lead to a mass exodus of whites and their wealth and Black-led SA would die in its crib。 By agreeing to democratic elections and remaining （largely） in the country， whites gave up very little practical power - although they no longer ran the gov't， they maintained and even increased their wealth and many who had the means cut themselves off further from greater society with high walls， etc。 Meanwhile， SA as a whole has had to struggle with providing basic needs such as electricity to more than twice as many people as it had to during apartheid。 Fairbanks points out that the post-apartheid gov't has increased electricity output greatly but not enough for everyone to have what they need 24/7。 This goes for road repairs and whatnot。 From the White perspective， they notice things breaking down and just assume the gov't is incompetent and the apartheid gov't just worked better when in fact it just worked， period， for about 20% of the population。 These things are worth considering when setting expectations of transitioning a country from minority rule to majority rule without excluding anyone。I think the story of SA is of great interest to us in America because， well， it is our story。 Apartheid after all was modeled on the Jim Crow South！ It may have been far more formal and had the advantage of lack of restraint of the US Constitution， but the ideas were taken from us。 I will link in the comments to W。F。 Buckley， the HoF Conservative who was anti-Civil Rights and very pro-apartheid for that reason， interviewing SA President B。J。 Vorster about apartheid and how the SA gov't treats "our blacks。" I highly recommend watching the video because Buckley provides such clarity about the attitudes of the American Right c。 1970's with regard to the nightmare they imagined liberals posed， a nightmare we are told "Democrat mayors" are today promulgating in their cities night after night by Tucker Carlson and his ilk and is one main reason why a crook like Trump has any traction whatsoever。Fairbanks makes only a passing reference to White SA'icans who emigrated after transition， and infers that many of those that did eventually returned。 I'd like to add something personal here。 When I moved to Sydney in 1995， I had three friends from Rochester， my advisor and his family， and some new friends at Sydney Uni， but I needed a social life outside of Physics。 So I made some friends in the Jewish Students Union。 It turned out that the friends I made the most quickly and meaningfully were themselves recent immigrants from S。 Africa （mainly Cape Town， but also JoBerg and Durban）。 These friends and their families treated me like one of their own and I never wanted for a Shabbos meal or Holiday invite and I even joined up at their shul in St Ives。 I never really asked them why they emigrated， although as Jews in apartheid SA I imagine there was a degree of discomfort: their white skin got them privileges other minorities were denied， but their Jewishness made them remain Others。 The threat of the end of apartheid must have added to their discomfort intensely enough to upend their families like that。 My befriending these families fired up my interest in SA and I have read quite a bit， including "The Boer War" by Thomas Packenham which is the best history of anything I have ever read。Anyway。。。Fairbanks moved to SA in 2009。 I knew of her from her journalism at the New Republic in the mid-late-2000's， when it was still worth reading。 In the book， she recounts her experiences as an American， an Other （Jewish）， and a liberal and her perspectives add a lot of context to the story。 The writing is sharp， erudite， personal， and always interesting。 I listened to the audiobook version on my recent long walks and the narrator was rock-steady and conveyed Fairbanks' writing vividly; the narrator was like a super-smart walking buddy who never once bored。 I urge any of you who are interested in not only SA history but also current American affairs to give this book a go。 （5/5）。 。。。more
Virginia
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Fair disclosure， went to the same HS as the author， but didn't overlap at all， just have social media overlap with her。Wow。 I spent a little over a week in Durban in the late '80s， when Apartheid was still very much a thing， and I was a freshman in HS， and it was very weird， and I have REALLY wondered about how things have changed over the years。 This covered enough time with enough different people， even though it focused really on only three， that I was able to get a sense of how things have c Fair disclosure， went to the same HS as the author， but didn't overlap at all， just have social media overlap with her。Wow。 I spent a little over a week in Durban in the late '80s， when Apartheid was still very much a thing， and I was a freshman in HS， and it was very weird， and I have REALLY wondered about how things have changed over the years。 This covered enough time with enough different people， even though it focused really on only three， that I was able to get a sense of how things have changed that makes sense to me， even with the limited amount of information that permeates an American's awareness of other countries。Probably the best narrative non-fiction I've read in a really long while。 I'm now stuck as far as what to listen to next， which is always high praise， when nothing else grabs me after reading something that really struck me。 。。。more
Tony
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What an amazing book。 it helped me rethink so many notions I took for granted。 Grace， forgiveness， Justice， equity… It puts a different spin to dying to whiteness and the whole concept of cheap grace。 Reconciliation is not so easy and should not be attempted in ignorance lest generations after pay the price
Kevin B。 Jennings
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Eve Fairbanks is a very good writer who paints a nuanced and complex portrait of post-apartheid South Africa。 Her technique of revealing larger themes by focusing on a small number of individual lives is a tried & true one she deploys very effectively。 I’d encourage anyone who wants to understand today’s South Africa to read her book。
Antone Dias
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Eve Fairbanks excels as tour guide， historian， and faithful story teller about the enigma that is South Africa， in "The Inheritors。" Living more than a decade in country， building relationships with many South Africans， gives her a level of depth rarely found even in long form reporting。Using memories and then-current views of some of the people she met， and got to know very well， Ms。 Fairbanks weaves a rich tale encompassing South Africa's mythic past， sudden transformation， and unscripted futu Eve Fairbanks excels as tour guide， historian， and faithful story teller about the enigma that is South Africa， in "The Inheritors。" Living more than a decade in country， building relationships with many South Africans， gives her a level of depth rarely found even in long form reporting。Using memories and then-current views of some of the people she met， and got to know very well， Ms。 Fairbanks weaves a rich tale encompassing South Africa's mythic past， sudden transformation， and unscripted future。 We learn the tale of Christo， the Afrikaner farmer's son， who adapts to apartheid's fall by not only embracing nostalgia for the Afrikaner pioneers， but creates his own myth in the process。 Contrast his path to that of Dipuo， from Soweto， who joined the struggle with the ANC as a teenager， and finds herself in that rare place， getting what she fought for。 And that naturally leads to the question， what comes next？ And perhaps it is her daughter， Malaika， who best fits the book's title。 She is the inheritor of her mother's victory， but that doesn't mean she doesn't have her own challenges to face， or fight。Striking， more than many ideas discussed， is the sense that South Africa is still out of balance， even if the nation never， actually was in balance。 There are contradictions of inequity everywhere， be it the luxury of the resort towns， versus the continuing harshness of life in the townships。 As well， there is the growing sense of white grievance hoarding， pitted against the liberated Blacks' uncertainty about what this liberty means， and/or should even provide？Try as I intend， not to lift any of Ms。 Fairbanks' exquisite prose， I do want to mention her reporting of the way Malaika's generation invokes ANC martyr， Steve Biko。 Truly ironic， when he is invoked over the more mundane aspects of life for the liberated in South Africa。 But bittersweet， when the matter is more pressing， urgent， existential。 You will gain a good deal of insight into what Steve Biko fought for， and against， in "The Inheritors。" You should also gain understanding about where America and South Africa are alike， and as well， very different。 But the book is first and foremost about the continuing enigma that is South Africa。 If you want a human's eye view of where they are， and where they have have been？ Ms。 Fairbanks will show you that view。 And as well， you will gain some institutional depth。 But the story is more about the people， than the nation。 But isn't a nation more its people than anything else？ Read "The Inheritors，" and discover for yourself。 。。。more
Dawn Michelle
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This is a book where the author explores an ugly subject with a piercing eye and an even hand。 I am not sure how much people are aware of how bad Apartheid was and how it poisoned so many people， Black and white and the after affects of all that once Apartheid was abolished。 Told from the perspective of three people that the author was friends with [with personal reflections from the author and other people she has known]， this book is full of emotions and thought-provoking dialogue。 Mixed with This is a book where the author explores an ugly subject with a piercing eye and an even hand。 I am not sure how much people are aware of how bad Apartheid was and how it poisoned so many people， Black and white and the after affects of all that once Apartheid was abolished。 Told from the perspective of three people that the author was friends with [with personal reflections from the author and other people she has known]， this book is full of emotions and thought-provoking dialogue。 Mixed with history [both true and what was perceived by these three people]， it is a very compelling tale that at times made me so angry I could hardly continue and at times made me weep so hard I could not see the page and the end was just heartbreaking。 It would seem that there is no real happy ending here - South Africa continues to suffer and struggle to find peace out of the chaos that ruled it for so long。 This is a well-written book that you will not be sorry you read。 I learned so much。 Thank you to NetGalley， Eve Fairbanks， and Simon and Schuster for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Megan
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This is a very worthwhile read， especially for people with little knowledge of how apartheid worked in practice and the rocky transition to democracy。 Fairbanks makes sure that each person profiled is fully human， fully aware， and has the courage to probe some really intimate aspects of each person's psyche。 Four stars because there were some odd editorial choices （though possibly for a standard American audience， they make more sense）。 Like， why not name Helen Zille as the politician who got in This is a very worthwhile read， especially for people with little knowledge of how apartheid worked in practice and the rocky transition to democracy。 Fairbanks makes sure that each person profiled is fully human， fully aware， and has the courage to probe some really intimate aspects of each person's psyche。 Four stars because there were some odd editorial choices （though possibly for a standard American audience， they make more sense）。 Like， why not name Helen Zille as the politician who got into a Twitter fight defending colonialism？ I knew right away who the author was referring to （though again， I may not be the typical reader）。 I just am not sure what's gained by being vague。 。。。more
Chloe
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I read Eve Fairbanks' "The Inheritors" in one sitting- it was impossible to put down！ The book follows the lives of three individuals in post-apartheid South Africa。 Fairbanks draws out their stories with nuance， thoughtfulness and care， as both witness to and poet of their lives。 I was drawn in by the remarkable prose （there are many phrases in this book that have stuck with me！） but it's the incredible depth of storytelling that made this book a profound read。 As someone who spent time living I read Eve Fairbanks' "The Inheritors" in one sitting- it was impossible to put down！ The book follows the lives of three individuals in post-apartheid South Africa。 Fairbanks draws out their stories with nuance， thoughtfulness and care， as both witness to and poet of their lives。 I was drawn in by the remarkable prose （there are many phrases in this book that have stuck with me！） but it's the incredible depth of storytelling that made this book a profound read。 As someone who spent time living in South Africa， this is a story about the political re-shaping of a complex and beautiful country。 It's a critical story to tell in this moment of American （and world） history。 Fairbanks does a terrific job of telling it。 I'm buying copies for all my friends！！ 。。。more
Joe Silber
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Caveat: I am a Facebook acquaintance of the author and received an early copy of the book in exchange for an objective， unbiased review。"The Inheritors" by Eve Fairbanks is not the sort of non-fiction I usually read， but I really enjoyed it。 Ms。 Fairbanks， an American ex-pat living in South Africa， takes us in some detail through the lives of 3 individuals living through the changes wrought by the end of Apartheid。 Christo， a white Afrikaaner who fought as a soldier for the apartheid regime， Dip Caveat: I am a Facebook acquaintance of the author and received an early copy of the book in exchange for an objective， unbiased review。"The Inheritors" by Eve Fairbanks is not the sort of non-fiction I usually read， but I really enjoyed it。 Ms。 Fairbanks， an American ex-pat living in South Africa， takes us in some detail through the lives of 3 individuals living through the changes wrought by the end of Apartheid。 Christo， a white Afrikaaner who fought as a soldier for the apartheid regime， Dipuo， a black anti-apartheid activist， and Malaika， her daughter。 Fairbanks normally writes long magazine pieces， and indeed the book has that sort of feel to it， with the author herself briefly appearing in the narrative here and there， as we experience some of her efforts researching the book as well as what her subjects actually tell her。The book is heavily slanted toward examining the effects of the end of apartheid， rather than the causes of it， and so if you are looking for a detailed political examination of how the change happened， look elsewhere。 Fairbanks is most interested in the complex emotions that both white and black South Africans feel post-apartheid - the backlash among some whites， how others clung to their few black friends as a way to expiate their guilt， how some upwardly mobile black South Africans （which some of the poorer blacks called "Black Diamonds"） became more "white" in their actions and attitudes， living in walled neighborhoods and being fearful of poor black people on the street。 They began to openly doubt the ability of blacks to govern well， and secretly wonder if they would be better of with whites back in power。 Sadly， it seemed， the end of apartheid solved some problems only to create all sorts of new ones。 Varities of self-loathing seemed rampant among both black and white South Africans， for different reasons。Some of the complexities facing the new government were fascinating - take farming。 Under apartheid， whites owned 90% of farmland， and what blacks were allowed was barren and useless。 Under the new， black-led government， farmland was purchased by the government， and redistributed to aspiring black farmers， but they were generally poorly educated and unprepared to deal with the problems of modern farming。 Increasing the challenge was the fact that South Africa had a bit of a monopoly under apartheid （as few countries would trade with them） and as part of a global community， now had to compete in the global marketplace。 Small and midlevel farmers， regardless of education or experience， struggled。 One vignette in the book struck me as heartbreakingly sad。 At one point， the author and a black South African friend named Elliot visit a former white settlement located within a black "homeland" that Elliot had loved as a child， called Penge。 The author was struck by how unimpressive and run-down it was， until Elliot explains that he had loved it BECAUSE it was a white spot。 At one point， they reach an disused high school surrounded by fencing， where they discover a poor， skinny， self-appointed "security guard" living in the school。 He had stayed there for 9 years， keeping the building safe from vandals and people scavenging materials， hoping that one day the white people would return and reward him for his diligance。 He shows Eve and Elliot his favorite room in the school - a pristine bathroom that he kept spotlessly free of dust and spiders。 But in all the 9 years， he never used it。 He dug himself a latrine out back instead， feeling that the immaculate bathroom was reserved for white people。Ms。 Fairbanks writes well， with emotional resonance， and she has a particular knack for tone， in crafting her presentation of these very personal stories。 I did sometimes feel like the book need further clarity， though， as I would run into passages that either were slightly too elaborate in sentence structure or left out clear transitions， leaving me slightly puzzled as to what the author's intent was。 I also wouldn't have minded a little more historical context for things - I suspect that the author and/or her editor were trying to keep the book from being overly long， but I personally would have enjoyed it being longer。 Nonetheless， the book is very thoughtful， readable， and fascinating， and I recommend it。 。。。more
John
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Eve Fairbanks is a beautiful writer who explores an ugly subject with a piercing eye and an even hand。 Apartheid’s murderous boot stomped the neck of many Black lives and stained many white souls， and the people she befriends （both Black and white） carry the mark of Cain。 Her book， while explaining the broad strokes of its history， instead focuses on complex resilience of Apartheid’s victims and the dreadful， painful existence of even its beneficiaries。 More importantly， we sit alongside Blacks Eve Fairbanks is a beautiful writer who explores an ugly subject with a piercing eye and an even hand。 Apartheid’s murderous boot stomped the neck of many Black lives and stained many white souls， and the people she befriends （both Black and white） carry the mark of Cain。 Her book， while explaining the broad strokes of its history， instead focuses on complex resilience of Apartheid’s victims and the dreadful， painful existence of even its beneficiaries。 More importantly， we sit alongside Blacks and whites who are left to deal with the political， cultural， economic， and emotional aftermath — warts and all。 Without polemics， Fairbanks surgically separates the “what we’re supposed to say and feel” from the actual experience of a post-Apartheid culture。 Americans will see themselves in part — but， critically， not in whole — in those trying to answer freedom’s key question: What the hell do we do now？ 。。。more
Peg - The History Shelf
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Read my review at Shelf Awareness here: https://www。shelf-awareness。com/sar-i。。。 Read my review at Shelf Awareness here: https://www。shelf-awareness。com/sar-i。。。 。。。more
Christina
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Eve Fairbanks tells us the story of the end of Apartheid and the years following。 To reflect on these times， she has chosen four people to tell their stories。 Full of facts and emotion， this is an absolutely fascinating read！
Jesse Hassinger
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