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bcbartuska's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this converging of three women’s stories set in South Africa in the 1990s. The themes here include family, motherhood, regret, forgiveness, and hope. Heavy topics are covered, but the tone never felt too heavy to me. Recommended for fans of stories told from multiple perspectives, and those who like a nice wrap up at the end of a book.
jackyobrien6's review against another edition
5.0
My lack of background on this topic made this educational as well as a leisure read. I found myself hating and loving the main characters at times. A great book to read if you love strong female leads.
naomiallen's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful beautiful story. And a great insight into life in South Africa during the apartheid.
jaclyn_sixminutesforme's review against another edition
4.0
I studied a lot of South African history during undergrad, and because I double-majored history with literature I was always on the lookout for for ways that the two disciplines intersected. What I found most compelling about this was how much it actively engaged with history and it’s legacy as an ongoing process - particularly that the “end” of apartheid wasn’t an end to many of the ongoing problems and harms that it had caused within the country. The deeply entrenched and systemic issues caused by colonialism and apartheid in South Africa and the echoes of its legacy are really well explored in this story. Using the lens of three women really enabled discussions about class and privilege, and primarily race, to inform so many of these important discussions too.
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This was such a compelling story about three women in South Africa as the country transitioned from apartheid to the first elections, encompassing so many important social topics including racism, the AIDS crisis, sexual violence, sexual-health miseducation, the Truth & Reconciliation Commission, and more. There were so many intricately layered details that came together at the end and allowed for a really complex reflection on a country at a momentous turning point, and with characters that allowed for this to be explored fully.
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I really enjoyed this read and look forward to reading the author’s earlier work, HUM IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE WORDS, soon (I bought a copy at @octaviabooks having a pretty good feel that her writing and themes would be totally in my wheelhouse
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This was such a compelling story about three women in South Africa as the country transitioned from apartheid to the first elections, encompassing so many important social topics including racism, the AIDS crisis, sexual violence, sexual-health miseducation, the Truth & Reconciliation Commission, and more. There were so many intricately layered details that came together at the end and allowed for a really complex reflection on a country at a momentous turning point, and with characters that allowed for this to be explored fully.
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I really enjoyed this read and look forward to reading the author’s earlier work, HUM IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE WORDS, soon (I bought a copy at @octaviabooks having a pretty good feel that her writing and themes would be totally in my wheelhouse
openmypages's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, what a beautifully written novel. Marais weaves the stories of these three South African women together in a way that is equally heartbreaking and hopeful. It tackles lots of heavy issues apartheid, poverty, religion and HIV. The characters are complex, well balanced in kindness and selfishness, in hope and despair, flawed and yet perfect. I was not left wanting at any point in the story. I loved the cultural aspects that gave light to the complexity of 1990s South Africa and yet so empathetically showed that their stories are those of any woman living in those times. I can not wait to go back and read her other book.
sweet_dee_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Yet another wonderful book from Bianca Marais!! Words can’t describe how beautifully Bianca tells the story of estranged sisters who are brought together by an unlikely circumstance. This book made me feel all the feelings and I am sad that this story is over. If you need a story that tackles all of life’s hardships and makes you see the world a little differently, then you must read this one
elsanore's review against another edition
5.0
As soon as I finished If You Want To Make God Laugh, I texted my mom with the recommendation. It is the story of the early days of HIV and the end of apartheid in South Africa as told from the perspectives of two older Afrikaner sisters and a young Black woman who find family in each other as they unite to care for a baby. As a parent myself, reading about the feelings each woman had about the baby and its care was relatable. Though I am usually wary of multiple perspectives, Marais gave each woman a distinct personality revealed through her thoughts. Each woman's character developed as a result of this beautifully told story.
sryimallbooked's review against another edition
5.0
Favorite book of 2019 and I finished it right on the last day of the year!!! Will read again