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jerriza's review
3.0
Firstly, this is a recommended read from the point of view that it serves as a well-written reminder of the problems which continue to plague SA and presents an at-times overlooked perspective of social issues. It adopts a somewhat Socratic approach and Ferieal Haffajee (the Author) attempts to address the poignant issues which the majority of South Africans still continue to face from the perspective of a black woman.
If you are on the bench on deciding whether to read this or skip, note that this is not a solutions oriented book. I tend to prefer non-fiction which identifies a problem and then presents a potential fix or solution, no matter how far fetched. I do acknowledge that were there simple fixes we might have come to a resolution years ago.
What I do wish the author addressed in her book was a comparison to other African countries, or other colonial states with potentially similar metrics, and a deeper dive into her thoughts of the ruling party and their contributions to the state as it stands. These were glossed over very quickly but further scrutiny would have been relevant to the subject matter in seeking ideas.
Other than that, I enjoyed the book for what it was with only a slight wish that it dove deeper into certain issues.
If you are on the bench on deciding whether to read this or skip, note that this is not a solutions oriented book. I tend to prefer non-fiction which identifies a problem and then presents a potential fix or solution, no matter how far fetched. I do acknowledge that were there simple fixes we might have come to a resolution years ago.
What I do wish the author addressed in her book was a comparison to other African countries, or other colonial states with potentially similar metrics, and a deeper dive into her thoughts of the ruling party and their contributions to the state as it stands. These were glossed over very quickly but further scrutiny would have been relevant to the subject matter in seeking ideas.
Other than that, I enjoyed the book for what it was with only a slight wish that it dove deeper into certain issues.
have_you_read_this's review
3.0
"This book is her unpacking, through interviews and discussion, the feelings of residue colonialism, of “whiteness” over “white people”, and the necessity of accepting that moving forward is not achievable without first looking backwards and without regarding whiteness as an aspiration." - Full review at Have You Read This.