I've just finished my third time through this book. The 1st time through was when I was going through all the contemporary classics. I loved it and suggested it as a read for my book club. We ended up choosing it for a book in 1999. Dode and I were able to take a magical 10 day trip to Glacier National Park without kids that year, and while we were in Kalispell, I picked up a copy to read. It was soon after that trip that we found we were going to add another child, Elizabeth, to our family. I always think of Montana as the place where Elizabeth began. When I grabbed the book out of the closet to read for my third time, again for book club, a receipt for a bike shop in Kalispell fell out and brought memories of that trip back again.
This book is well written with lyrical descriptions that clearly convey the author's love for the land of South Africa. I've never traveled to South Africa, I haven't seen many photos. But, through this book, I can "see" how it must have looked in the 1940's. The lush green hills, the dry dirty streets of Johannesburg, even the narrow gauge train winding through the hills. Contrasted with the love the author had for the land of South Africa is his concern over the social policies he saw.
The book was written before the policy of Apartheid but clearly foreshadows the dangers of that system. It is a book that clearly shows the damage a political system that favors the minority over the majority can do. Reading it after Apartheid has been abolished, it is sad to see that the same people are still dealing with the same problems, over 50 years later.
The book is divided into three parts. In part one, the main character, a middle aged black minister named Stephen Kumalo, travels to Johannesburg to find his sister and son. He sees first hand the poverty and lack of opportunity the blacks struggle with and learns some deeply unsettling news. His son has killed a white man during a home invasion. He learns that this man is the son of a white landholder, Jarvis, who has a large piece of property overlooking his village. He also enounters individuals, both black and white, who are examples to him of Christian faith and love. In part two, he is back home in his village. He attempts to cope with his deep grief at what his son has done. He forms a friendship with the son of the man his child has killed and through that friendship, a relationship with the father of the man killed. The father is moved with compassion and helps the village rise above it poverty and saves some of the small children from starvation. In part three, Jarvis continues his efforts to help the village. The villagers must learn to adapt to new farming techniques. And finally, they have a poignant meeting the night before Kumalo's son will be executed for the murder of Jarvis' son.
I understand there is a movie based on the book that stars James Earl Jones. I've never seen it and don't know if I can stand to. The things that are dealt with in the book are so sad, but just when my heart is breaking, the author takes a break to again describe some beautiful part of South Africa.
This book is not easy emotionally to read but raises several things worth thinking about. Although the book centers on Kumalo and Jarvis, women are also an important part of the story. The author's portrayal of women as able to bare suffering and find purpose in their lives is worth pondering. In a society where women, especially black women, are without power, what are their resources? What is the responsibility of parents for the misdeeds of their children? How does the disintegration of the family affect society? How can choosing love change the world? How are our lives shaped by seemingly insignificant choices? Finally, I have to ask myself, "would I respond as Jarvis towards the village or would I have used my power to inflict my pain on others?"
