Helpful Score: 1
This simple, beautiful book is about a Zulu pastor named Stephen Kumalo who travels from his poor countryside home in Ndotsheni to the dangerous and crowded streets of Johannesburg in search of his son Absolom, and sister Gertrude. He finds them, but too late to save them.
The story is divided into 3 parts: the first is about Kumalo and his journey and isolation (from his beloved home and family as he ventures away; from his brother who is power-drunk, politically motivated, and manipulative; and from his god when he's faced with the dire consequences of his son's actions). The second part is about Jarvis, a white land owner coincidentally of Ndotsheni, whose only child, Arthur Jarvis is murdered in Johannesburg. In the third and final part there is poetic restoration of all kinds of conflict (inner conflict on the part of both Kumalo and Jarvis, and even racial conflict on a grand scale).
Normally I'm not a fan of books about Africa and Catholicism, but I just happened to read this immediately after finishing another Africa book (Mating by Norman Rush) which was so aggressive and overbearing about cramming information down the reader's throat that I didn't get anything out of it. Whereas with CtBC I learned so much about beautiful African customs, pleasantries and tact; through effective repetition of phrases like "beloved country," "for such a thing is not lightly done," and "broken tribes" Paton shows readers the feel, experience and both the good and bad of Africa from various white and black perspectives.
The story is divided into 3 parts: the first is about Kumalo and his journey and isolation (from his beloved home and family as he ventures away; from his brother who is power-drunk, politically motivated, and manipulative; and from his god when he's faced with the dire consequences of his son's actions). The second part is about Jarvis, a white land owner coincidentally of Ndotsheni, whose only child, Arthur Jarvis is murdered in Johannesburg. In the third and final part there is poetic restoration of all kinds of conflict (inner conflict on the part of both Kumalo and Jarvis, and even racial conflict on a grand scale).
Normally I'm not a fan of books about Africa and Catholicism, but I just happened to read this immediately after finishing another Africa book (Mating by Norman Rush) which was so aggressive and overbearing about cramming information down the reader's throat that I didn't get anything out of it. Whereas with CtBC I learned so much about beautiful African customs, pleasantries and tact; through effective repetition of phrases like "beloved country," "for such a thing is not lightly done," and "broken tribes" Paton shows readers the feel, experience and both the good and bad of Africa from various white and black perspectives.
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