Mark Mathabane first came to prominence with the publication of Kaffir Boy; which became a New York Times bestseller. His story of growing up in South Africa was one of the most riveting accounts of life under apartheid. Mathabane's newest book; Miriam's Song; is the story of Mark's sister; who was left behind in South Africa. It is the gripping tale of a woman -- representative of an entire generation -- who came of age amid the violence and rebellion of the 1980s and finally saw the destruction of apartheid and the birth of a new; democratic South Africa. Mathabane writes in Miriam's voice based on stories she told him; but he has re-created her unforgettable experience as only someone who also lived through it could. The immediacy of the hardships that brother and sister endured -- from daily school beatings to overwhelming poverty -- is balanced by the beauty of their childhood observations and the true affection that they have for each other.
#1272967 in Books Rowman n Littlefield Publishers 2007-08-29 2007-08-29Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.46 x .50 x 5.58l; .49 #File Name: 0742552217144 pages
Review
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. But like the explanations of others that he puts back on ...By C. D. HoffmanR Weiss Halivni is a giant; and his effort is certainly worthy of reading and re-reading. His sources are well-chosen; support his positions; and display a wide and deep knowledge of the world of Torah. And with his wealth of Torah knowledge; he surveys the various efforts at reconciling Jewish belief with the horrors of the Shoah. In particular; he outright rejects the notions of punishment - both individual and collective - as having any justification in Jewish law or tradition. And he artfully disassembles the arguments behind the applicability of "hester panim" or the hiding of God's face from Israel as a way of fitting the horror into classic Jewish thought.But like the explanations of others that he puts back on the shelf; the one he presents so eloquently - the distancing factor with its roots in Kaballah - suffers from its own failing of hubris. We don't know; and it's far too presumptuous for any - even the most scholarly whose lives were directly shaped by the horrors like R Halivni - to present a reason or explanation.''' ''' '''''''''' ''''' ''''''''' '''''' '''''
