From the Bookshelf of Around the Year in 52 Books …

Hum If You Don't Know the Words

Bianca Marais

Why we're reading this: 1963 - South African
[close] 1963 - South African

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Feb 25, 2025 Liz rated it really liked it

Shelves: international-bc, not-owned, 2025

4.5*

I read this book for my International Book Club - the setting, South Africa. I didn’t know anything about this book going in, but it grabbed me from the start. Initially it felt a bit disjointed because of the seemingly unrelated alternating narratives - one of a 9 year old white girl, & the other of a 49 year old black woman. I didn’t see how they fit together, but I trusted the process & waited for everything to align. It did so beautifully. What a powerful look at love, acceptance, grief, ...more

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Oct 21, 2017 Tanya rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: format-audiobook, 2017

Loved the book! The characters were developed well and I cared very much about their outcomes. This book also provided me with new history, the Soweto Uprising. Beauty's wisdom and honesty will be what I remember moss about her and the unintended humor and desire not to have future losses (if she told the truth) are what I will remember about 9 year old Robin.

Some quotes that stick with me:

"Tears are neither black nor white. They are the quicksilver of our emotional turmoil. And their salt flav ...more

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Jul 23, 2017 Joan rated it liked it

3.5 stars. Really strong characters in an excellent look at apartheid and South Africa of the 1970s. The final sequence was a bit far-fetched, but the overall result satisfactory.

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