A review by shirleytupperfreeman
Hum If You Don't Know the Words by Bianca Marais

This is a beautifully told story taking place in South Africa during the mid-1970s. Ten year old Robin, who is white, suddenly loses the three most important people in her life. She is taken in by her mother's sister - a single, flight attendant based in Johannesburg. Fifty year old Beauty is a black woman from the Transvaal. She leaves her boys behind to try and bring her beloved daughter Nomsa back from Johannesburg where she has become a student leader fighting for the rights of her people. Robin's and Beauty's lives become inextricably woven together. This is a coming-of-age story about the transformative power of love. Reading this book (to be published in July) alongside Trevor Noah's Born a Crime can help readers more intimately understand the evil of apartheid.