Review #8 - Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A classic novel that stands out (for me)
It's a shame I haven't read this classic until now, but I'm glad I finally did. The setting is South Africa, perhaps early twentieth century. Stephen Kumalo is a Zulu pastor trying to put his family and community back together again and having his heart broken in the process. His rural community is afflicted by prolonged drought and most young people head off to Johannesburg, mostly to come to ruin it seems. The worst shock of all among the trials that come is his son Absalom murdering a white politician during a home invasion, which leads to Zumalo encountering the murder victim's father. Their encounter results in some restoration of hope and the possibility of a future in the later part of the novel.
Kumalo is a remarkable character sketch, a good man portrayed believably. This novel also seems to represent somewhat of a lost opportunity in the history of South Africa. After it was published a new government came to power in South Africa which established the notorious apartheid system, making things ultimately worse rather than better. One of the black characters worries about a day when the whites turn to loving, but the blacks will at that point have given themselves to hating and opportunity will be lost. It's a haunting scenario that the novel of course leaves unresolved.