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Loading... The Housemaid's Daughter (2012)by Barbara Mutch
   None No current Talk conversations about this book.   ) Abcdarian | May 18, 2024 |   ) dmurfgal | Dec 9, 2022 |  ) tshrope | Jan 13, 2020 |  ) Chelz286 | Aug 26, 2018 | It is the story of two women in pre- and post-apartheid South Africa, and though the main character, Ada, is the voice of most of the novel, her Irish madame's voice is heard mostly though her journal entries. I don't remember any specific dates being mentioned but the time spans decades, from the time Ada is young through to near the end of her life. The story, told in the first person, really gives voice to what life was like in South Africa at that time, life in the townships, the struggles and indignities, and the stark contrasts between the two worlds. Real historic figures come into play, briefly, in so far as they are mentioned to set the time (Steve Biko, Nelson Mandela), but the story is one woman's story, told in her words and through her own experience. A recurrent theme throughout is how music heals, even in the worst of times and situations, and how love and education can be a door out of hell but can only go so far, when too much of destiny is not in one's control. I found this to be a gripping story and I think the narration, in the accents of the 2 excellent narrators, made it all the more so. ( ) jessibud2 | Feb 28, 2017 | no reviews | add a review
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"When Cathleen Harrington leaves her home in Ireland in 1919 to travel to South Africa, she knows that she does not love the man she is to marry there --her fiance Edward, whom she has not seen for five years. Isolated and estranged in a small town in the harsh Karoo desert, her only real companions are her diary and her housemaid, and later the housemaid's daughter, Ada. When Ada is born, Cathleen recognizes in her someone she can love and respond to in a way that she cannot with her own family. Under Cathleen's tutelage, Ada grows into an accomplished pianist and a reader who cannot resist turning the pages of the diary, discovering the secrets Cathleen sought to hide. As they grow closer, Ada sees new possibilities in front of her--a new horizon. But in one night, everything changes, and Cathleen comes home from a trip to find that Ada has disappeared, scorned by her own community. Cathleen must make a choice: should she conform to society, or search for the girl who has become closer to her than her own daughter? Set against the backdrop of a beautiful, yet divided land, The Housemaid's Daughter is a startling and thought-provoking novel that intricately portrays the drama and heartbreak of two women who rise above cruelty to find love, hope, and redemption"-- No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.92Literature English English fiction Modern Period 2000-LC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.86)
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