This is a hard book to read making this a hard review to write. 12 short stories that must be read in order tell the story of people in South Africa from apartheid through the COVID-19 pandemic. Later stories make reference to people and events in earlier stories. I cannot say any story in particular stood out to me. What struck me most was the cruelty exhibited by people because they could do it, not because they had a reason be cruel. There was white-on-black, black-on-black, black-on-brown, adults-on-children, adult children-on-elderly parents, neighbor-on-neighbor, people-on-animal, white-on-white (one incident), and black-on-black (one incident).

I will admit I do not know much about South African history. I remember the apartheid and its ending. I had a passing reference to the Boer Wars in history class but very little knowledge about what and why they occurred. There are references to the Boers wanting to take their lands back in South Africa. These stories opened my eyes up to the difference in my upbringing versus the upbringing of the people in these stories. I am appalled that this happened and still happens. Truth comes out in these stories as does desperation. The Afrikaner dialect is used through the book which gives a realistic feel.

I applaud the author for showing us the reality of people's lives in South Africa. Her writing is fantastic. I would like to say I would read her again, but I'm not sure if I can handle the depression from these stories. This was truly one of the hardest books for me to read. It should be read by all. ( )