If only Mma was here, Naledi wished over and over... Mma lives and works in Johannesburg, far from the village thirteen-year-old Naledi and her younger brother, Tiro, call home. When their baby sister suddenly becomes very sick, Naledi and Tiro know, deep down, that only one person can save her.
Bravely, alone, they set off on a journey to find Mma and bring her back. But Naledi has never traveled beyond their home, so she's never seen the true face of apartheid before: an innocent black youth arrested, a girl who has lost her family fighting against the government. It isn't until they reach the city that they come to understand the dangers of their country, and the painful struggle for freedom and dignity that is taking place all around them. This bestselling classic set in South Africa during the apartheid era follows two siblings as they face the dangers of their divided country.
"Naledi has begun her own journey: she has witnessed an innocent black youth's arrest; she met Grace, who has lost family in the struggle for freedom. And she gains a new understanding of her country. There are many viewpoints in this story: Mma is trying to survive; Grace struggles for dignity. But the author's gift is in translating violent TV images into a provocative, eloquent story about the human spirit, from its first flicker to full flame." — Publishers Weekly
Recommended Age | 9 - 12 |
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Author | Beverley Naidoo |
Illustrator | Eric Velasquez |
ISBN | 0064402371 |
Publication Date | Jun 3, 1988 |
Publisher | HarperCollins |
Language | English |