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Hum If You Don't Know the Words cover art

Hum If You Don't Know the Words

Written by: Bianca Marais
Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan, Bahni Turpin
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Publisher's Summary

Perfect for fans of The Secret Life of Bees and The Help, a perceptive and searing look at Apartheid-era South Africa, told through one unique family brought together by tragedy.

Life under Apartheid has created a secure future for Robin Conrad, a 10-year-old white girl living with her parents in 1970s Johannesburg. In the same nation but worlds apart, Beauty Mbali, a Xhosa woman in a rural village in the Bantu homeland of the Transkei, struggles to raise her children alone after her husband's death. Both lives have been built upon the division of race, and their meeting should never have occurred...until the Soweto Uprising, in which a protest by black students ignites racial conflict, alters the fault lines on which their society is built, and shatters their worlds when Robin's parents are left dead and Beauty's daughter goes missing.

After Robin is sent to live with her loving but irresponsible aunt, Beauty is hired to care for Robin while continuing the search for her daughter. In Beauty, Robin finds the security and family that she craves, and the two forge an inextricable bond through their deep personal losses. But Robin knows that if Beauty finds her daughter, Robin could lose her new caretaker forever, so she makes a desperate decision with devastating consequences. Her quest to make amends and find redemption is a journey of self-discovery in which she learns the harsh truths of the society that once promised her protection.

Told through Beauty's and Robin's alternating perspectives, the interwoven narratives create a rich and complex tapestry of the emotions and tensions at the heart of Apartheid-era South Africa. Hum If You Don't Know the Words is a beautifully rendered look at loss, racism, and the creation of family.

©2017 Bianca Marais (P)2017 Penguin Audio

What the critics say

“Radiant...a stirring ode to a country’s painful maturation.” (O, The Oprah Magazine)

“Richly drawn...[The characters’] journeys and eventual love poignantly demonstrate that nothing is simply black or white.” (USA Today)

“In this standout debut Marais handles topics such as grief and racism with a delicate intensity that will make readers fall in love with her characters. From the first few heartfelt chapters to a fast-paced and heart-wrenching ending, Marais has created a stunning historical drama that shouldn’t be missed.” (Publishers Weekly

What listeners say about Hum If You Don't Know the Words

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Great story!

Wow! Bianca tells a story like no other! Wonderfully descriptive, amazing voice, and memorable characters! Her writing leaves you wanting, no craving, more!

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Loved it!

I loved this even more than her other book "If You Want to Make God Laugh. Bianca Marais is the consummate storyteller. The most difficult part is getting to the end and wanting to start all over again. Absolutely spectacular performances.

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Beautiful Story and Narration

Characters are so well developed that I identified with them all. They certainly show the complexities of the time and yet give hope for the future of South Africa. The narrator’s accents keep the movement between Robin and Beauty clear, moving, and convincing. Would love to hear how their lives connect in the years ahead!

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Theatre that Authenticates South African Context

This book was selected by my book club and my print copy failed to show up in time. The Audible edition was available, so I thought I would try listening. What a revelation! The various actors performed in consistent accents, capably differentiating the Black from the White in this novel of events proceeding from the Soweto “riots” of 1976. When my print copy finally arrived, I so loved the Audible version that I reread it - twice. I would love to see a sequel. #Audible1

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