Published in the Sunday Times
Somewhere Out There
Amy Hatvany (Simon & Schuster)
***
Book fling
This is an absorbing story because of the concept: how the lives of two sisters diverge after their mother gives them up for adoption. The women are convincing characters, despite being stereotypical at times. The suspense of whether they will track down their mother keeps the reader involved. She is the third character and the novel opens with her decision. This is light reading with a similar texture to the tangled family themes in Jodi Picoult’s books. What gives it an edge, however, is the thought-provoking issues the book raises including the rehabilitation of prisoners, the benefits of fostering children and the gift and complexity of adoption. — Claire Keeton @ClaireKeetonST
The Crow Girl
Erik Axl Sund (Harvill Secker)
***
Book thrill
At nearly 800 pages this doorstopper (originally published as a trilogy) shows Scandinavian noir at its most badass. Complex and somewhat confusing, the book features a murderer motivated by revenge and retribution against a cult which practised child abuse, incest and sex slavery. Detective Superintendent Jeanette Kihlberg enlists the help of psychologist Sofia Zetterlund but finds more than she expected in this disturbing thriller. The Crow Girl is heavy in every sense of the word but if you’re a fan of the genre it’s worth ploughing through the twists of this convoluted plot. — Aubrey Paton
I’m The Girl Who Was Raped
Michelle Hattingh (Modjaji Books)
Book buff
***
“My story is ordinary because too many women share my story. My story is worth telling because too many women identify with it,” Hattingh says at the end of her powerfully honest autobiography. On the day she presents her honours thesis, “Any Man Can Rape”, to a captivated lecture hall she is later raped, tied up on the rocks of a Cape Town beach with another girl. This is her story of survival. In an attempt to redefine herself as other than “the girl who was raped”, Hattingh unpacks the stigmatisation of rape and the emotional impact it had on her, her family and friends. She exposes the atrocities society pins on women who are raped, the inadequacies of our health system in dealing with rape, and how women assign themselves the blame when they are raped. This is an important story. It’s for every woman and man – a book that tells the story of so many women in South Africa, and around the world. — Kelly Ansara @QueenKelso
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
Phaedra Patrick (HarperCollins)
****
Book buff
Arthur Pepper has decided that it’s time. A year after his wife’s death, he’s going to go through her things. This is how he finds the hidden charm bracelet, and begins his amazing search for the stories behind each charm. His detective work leads him across the globe, and uncovers many a hidden truth about his wife and himself. It’s a journey of brilliant self-discovery which features tea, tigers, harem pants and art. More importantly, he learns that old wounds can be healed, and that not all that is gone is forgotten. A beautiful, moving tale which is the duck-feather duvet of stories – comforting, warm and happy. — Samantha Gibb @samantha_gibb
Book details
- Somewhere Out There by Amy Hatvany
EAN: 9781476704432
Find this book with BOOK Finder!
- The Crow Girl by Erik Axl Sund
EAN: 9781846557576
Find this book with BOOK Finder!
- I’m the Girl Who Was Raped by Michelle Hattingh
Book homepage
EAN: 9781920590628
Find this book with BOOK Finder!
- The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick
EAN: 9781848454354
Find this book with BOOK Finder!