DNF p. 72. I put this down and had no desire to pick it back up. So back to the library it goes. ( )

A novel that reveals the choices some South Africans had to make in the 1960s. Apartheid is alive and well, which means that many black Africans are denied access to better jobs, housing, and education. Among them is Celia Mphephu, a servant working for a white couple in Johannesburg.

The couple, the Steiners, take a shine to Celia's only daughter, Miriam. Miriam is bright and lively and healthy. As they grow more devoted to her, the Steiners make an offer to Celia: let them take her to England. They will enroll her in school, provide healthcare, food, clothing, everything she needs. They will bring her back for visits and will send her letters.

Celia loves Miriam and does not want her to go, yet she is aware of the difficulties in continuing to work with a growing female child. She can barely feed herself and when the Steiners leave she will need to find another place for Miriam in any case. So she says yes.

Celia doesn't forget about Miriam. Miriam, however, gradually forgets about her early childhood as she grows up in England, speaking English and attending English schools. Her life is rich in opportunity, but not particularly rich in love. It's clear that her adoptive father cares for her but it is far less clear that "mother" does. Something seems to have changed in Mrs. Steiner's feelings toward Miriam and it isn't clear why.

When Miriam reaches adulthood she starts to learn about her past and is driven to seek out her biological mother. Thus begins a trek into Apartheid, guided by a journalist.

The story is told through the voices of the different characters. I wasn't convinced that Sussman succeeded in this effort. The voices are not so different in style, only in the points of view. I was also unclear on what happened with Mrs. Steiner, who had lavished love on Miriam when in Africa but who didn't want to tolerate Miriam's childishness in England. Perhaps she was always self-centered and wanted a child who fawned over her day and night. I just didn't fully grasp her underlying character.

Celia, the woman born to be a mother, is more understandable to me. She gives everything she has to keep her children (for Miriam had older brothers, living apart) as safe as she can. But she aches for the daughter she has not seen or heard from since she headed for England at the age of five.

The journalist tells Miriam about apartheid and South Africa as they travel through the country, filling her in on a life she missed. The journalist's words read to me more like articles from an encyclopedia than conversation.

Overall, a not-entirely-unsuccessful effort to highlight a time in South Africa that we can be glad is over. But to me a bit of a disappointment. I had wanted something a little deeper, which likely means longer. ( )

If you had asked me if this was a debut book or not, I would never have guessed it was a debut novel by new author Fiona Sussman. This book reads like Ms. Sussman is a seasoned professional.

I instantly was captivated by the world locations of South Africa and England. Although I was more drawn to South Africa. Yet, I was drawn to both Celia and Miriam. Both women overcame adversity and became stronger for it. Although I must admit that I was not surprised by the missing part in Miriam's past. However I was not disappointed by the news when it was revealed. I can not wait to see what Ms. Sussman comes out with next. If you are looking for a new author to read than you have to pick up a copy of this book, you won't regret it. ( )

The narrative of this story alternates between Celia Mphephu and her daughter Miriam. We first meet them in Johannesburg in 1959, where Celia is maid to Rita and Michael Steiner. They have recently suffered a third miscarriage and as racial tension and violence escalates, they decide to return to England.They make a proposal to Celia that they adopt 6 year old Miriam and take her with them. They assure her that they will send regular progress reports and return annually to visit. Celia sees that it is an opportunity that she will never be able to provide for her daughter who was soon to be returned to her native township because of government regulations.
The Steiners break their promise and as the years pass Celia fears she will never see her daughter again.
I struggled to form a connection with the characters in the early part of this book, however as Miriam reaches adulthood, I felt a more authentic voice take the narrative and found her return to South Africa became a page turning read. A promising first book. ( )

I received this book for free, for taking part in the Goodreads First Reads program.

The synopsis for this book was one which certainly intrigued me, as I have not read much fiction based in relatively modern-day Africa. Following the recent death of Nelson Mandela, the history of apartheid in South Africa has become a talking point once again, and it is refreshing to hear people talking so openly again about it.

In the 1960s, with racial tensions escalating in Johannesburg, a black house-servant called Celia Mphephu reluctantly allows her daughter Miriam to be adopted by her affluent white employers Michael and Rita Steiner. Miriam has spent most of her life shadowing her mother in the Steiner household, developing a bond with Michael who appears to be the only father figure in her life.

The Steiners decide that life would be safer for them and Miriam in England, where she will supposedly receive a better education and a better life. Celia has a husband who works in a mine, but the money he provides for Celia and her 3 sons is minimal, as pointed out by Rita. He eventually makes himself scarce for good, and after Celia and Miriam are eye witnesses to the police brutality toward blacks prevalent in the country, Celia accedes to the Steiner’s offer.

However, the life Miriam encounters in England is not what she expects, and the home life she experiences is devoid of love and affection. The Steiners are constantly arguing, as tensions over their failed pregnancies in South Africa continue to take their toll on their relationship. Michael still tries in vain to maintain a loving father-daughter relationship with Miriam, but Rita becomes intolerant of Miriam’s existence.

Miriam initially experiences being bullied by some of her fellow pupils at the school she is placed in, and seems completely detached after her sheltered early life with her mother. Adrift without companionship, she makes friends with an Indian girl called Zelda and is quickly made an honorary member of their Patel family.

It is this bond with Zelda which helps Miriam evolve as a young woman; the love the whole family, Zelda’s mother Rahini in particular, show for Miriam as if she was one of their own, is heart-warming. As an Indian family, they also have come to England for a better life and encountered frustrations because of their colour. It is likely for this reason that they welcome Miriam into their home, as they have experienced the alienation that Miriam has.

Back in South Africa, Celia’s attempts to get back in touch with Miriam are blocked by the authorities, and she is vilified for giving her daughter away. She also has her own struggles with maintaining employment, and keeping her sons – Miriam’s brothers - on the straight and narrow.

This book is not an enjoyable book, though this opinion should not be misunderstood. I do not mean that this is a bad book, but that it is one which makes you feel very uncomfortable reading. Celia’s life back in South Africa makes for extremely grim reading. The author Fiona Sussman has tackled a very sensitive topic admirably here. Blacks were treated appallingly during the Apartheid, and Sussman does not hide the worst offences of the infamous security police.

My only grievance about this novel is how quickly it moves through the years. There are some huge events in the life of Celia and Miriam which follow the adoption, yet they are sort of glanced over on the way to the next part of the story. I would have liked the author to spend more time setting the scene rather than rattle through the years at times.

This doesn’t overly detract from what is a very powerful and emotional book, and it left me thinking long after I finished.
( )