Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

Author: Trevor Noah

Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir, Comedy

Places Featured: Johannesburg, South Africa, Soweto, South Africa

This is a funny, but also very real and sometimes tragic, memoir written by comedian Trevor Noah, host of The Daily Show. It starts with the idea that his birth was a crime–he was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother–and then takes us through his childhood and teenage years, closely watched by his strong mother and greatly influenced by apartheid, poverty, and South Africa. This one is HIGHLY recommended.

Note from Jen: I especially recommend the audiobook–Trevor reads it himself, so you hear his personal nuances and native pronunciations. There’s also a young adult adaptation called It’s Trevor Noah.

Burger’s Daughter

Author: Nadine Gordimer

Genre: Fiction, Historical

Places Featured: Johannesburg, South Africa

Nadine Gordimer has a unique writing style that some might find difficult, but you can’t deny that the winner of the Nobel Prize winner for Literature (and native of South Africa) is a powerful writer. This novel, set in the mid-1970s, follows a group of white anti-apartheid activists working to overthrow the South African government as told by the daughter of an activist and an unnamed narrator. Several actual events and people are included in the story, so it can be an interesting way to learn about history without reading a dry history book. Even though it is a book written by a South African, the book was originally banned there, but then was eventually allowed to be distributed.

Coconut

Author: Kopano Matlwa

Genre: Fiction

Places Featured: South Africa

In South Africa, a “coconut” is the outdated/racist term that matches the derogatory/outdated term “Oreo” in the United States: black on the outside and white on the inside. This novel tells the stories of two young black women (who would be called a “coconut”) who come from very different backgrounds (one is pampered and highly educated while the other is poor and hasn’t had many opportunities) as they attempt to navigate the post-apartheid world of South Africa and figure out their role in it. It’s a fascinating look at the aftermath of apartheid and its effect on younger generations.

Cry, The Beloved Country

Author: Alan Paton

Genre: Fiction, Classic

Places Featured: Johannesburg, South Africa

Cry, The Beloved Country is often included in high school reading lists (thank you, Ms. Maas) and it’s considered a must-read/classic for a reason: it’s a powerful novel about a Zulu pastor from the country who must head to the city to search for his son during a time of unrest. It describes South Africa’s beautiful land and troubled people with honesty, humility, and passion. It’s also been adapted into film twice (we included the 1995 one below).

Long Walk to Freedom

Author: Nelson Mandela

Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir, Historical

Places Featured: South Africa

I’m not even sure how to start describing this book–should I highlight that it’s the autobiography of the first democratically elected president of South Africa–who is also a black man–who spent 27 years in prison!? Should I highlight that Nelson Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize? Should I highlight that former U.S. President Barack Obama called it “essential reading”? You probably know the gist of it anyway–it’s an intense and gripping autobiography of one of South Africa’s (and the world’s) greatest leaders full of both struggle and hope. (Note: the memoir has been adapted into a children’s version, which is also highly recommended, and a movie which we included below.)

My Traitor’s Heart: A South African Exile Returns to Face His Country, His Tribe, and His Conscience

Author: Rian Malan

Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir, Historical, Short Stories

Places Featured: South Africa

While this book is certainly about apartheid and the struggles of a country battling its own history, it is also the story of a young man struggling with his own racist family. Rian Malan is a white Afrikaaner who struggles with the racism in his country…and his family’s role in that racism. It’s another fascinating look at apartheid in South Africa, but from a different–yet still very real–perspective.

Recipes for Love and Murder: A Tannie Maria Mystery

Author: Sally Andrew

Genre: Fiction, Crime/Mystery, Food & Wine, Romance

Places Featured: Klein Karoo, South Africa

If you’ve read a few of my reviews/lists, you know I love my cozy mysteries and I love my books that feature food and wine–lucky for us, this book covers both of those AND it’s set in South Africa…and IT HAS RECIPES! It’s just one of those books (the first in a series) that keeps you interested in the whole time. Tannie Maria is a middle-aged woman that writes a recipe column for the local paper…until the paper changes her focus and she begins writing love advice. This brings her to a woman trying to escape an abusive husband…who ends up dead. Of course Tannie Maria must get to the bottom of it.

Note from Jen: I really enjoyed this book–it’s a cozy mystery, but definitely has a serious angle to it. There’s a lot of dialogue in Afrikaans which made it interesting (and made me glad I was reading on my Kindle where I could easily look up words I didn’t understand). This book also made me *really* want to try South African food. The book has been made into a “dark comedy” TV series and it’s great.

The Covenant: A Novel

Author: James Michener

Genre: Fiction, Historical, War/Military

Places Featured: South Africa

James Michener is known for his well-researched emotionally-charged epic sagas highlighting several different locations (you’ll see them often on this site) and The Covenant is no different. It’s a long complex (sometimes difficult to read) historical textbook detailing the history of South Africa, covering three different viewpoints (Dutch, English, and African native), but it is a novel, so the history is shared through a story that keeps you interested and engaged…for the whole 1,000+ pages. Definitely worth the effort if you’re planning a trip and want to read a book set in South Africa.

The Housemaid’s Daughter: A Novel

Author: Barbara Mutch

Genre: Fiction, Historical

Places Featured: Karoo Desert, South Africa

Set in 1919, The Housemaid’s Daughter is another story about the differences between the whites and blacks in South Africa, but it takes place before apartheid has officially been instituted. It tells the story of Cathleen Harrington who moves from Ireland to South Africa to marry a man she knows she does not love. She finds herself in a strange difficult town where her only friend is the housemaid, and, soon, the housemaid’s daughter, Ada. They become very close–which is not accepted in their home for many reasons and eventually leads to trouble.

The Power of One: A Novel

Author: Bryce Courtenay

Genre: Fiction, Historical

Places Featured: South Africa

The Power of One tells the story of Peekay, a white British boy, growing up in South Africa during World War II. Through his relationships with his nurse (a black woman), his mother, his music teacher, and other boys at boarding school, we learn about South Africa, resilience, courage, and a whole range of human emotions. It’s a coming-of-age story set during a difficult time in an especially difficult country. (It also comes highly recommended as an audiobook.)

The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980 in South Africa/1984 in USA)

Rating: PG

Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy

Places Featured: Botswana, South Africa

Although much of the film is set in Botswana, we included it here because there is quite a bit in South Africa, it is a movie directed by a South African, and it might be the most popular export from the South African film industry. It tells the story of Xi, a bushman in the Kalahari Desert whose tribe has not had much exposure to the outside world. When a coke bottle falls from the sky, it is seen as a gift from God, so Xi goes on an adventure to return it–meeting many characters and running into some funny trouble along the way. (Note: depending on what version you get, you might have to watch it dubbed.)

Cry Freedom (1987)

Rating: PG

Genre: Biography/Memoir, Drama, Historical

Places Featured: Cape Town, South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

Cry Freedom is based on two books written by (white) South African journalist Donald Woods that chronicle his real-life friendship with Steve Biko, a (black) anti-apartheid activist. Woods (played by Kevin Kline) is originally critical of Biko (played by Denzel Washington, who was nominated for his first Academy Award for this role), but when they meet in person, a new respect is discovered and a friendship is formed. However, when Biko is murdered in police custody, Woods’s efforts to stand up for his friend are challenged. You’ll be angry and intrigued and emotional–all signs of a powerful movie.

A Dry White Season (1989)

Rating: R

Genre: Drama, Historical, Thriller

Places Featured: Soweto, South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa

This one is a tough story, because it again shows the deep routes of racism and corruption in South Africa, but it is more of a thriller than just an emotional drama. It tells the story of Ben du Toit (played by Donald Sutherland) who begins to investigate the questionable murder of his (black) gardner and his gardner’s son. As he investigates, he finds himself in a dark hole of corruption and cover-up; even with the help of a powerful lawyer (played by Marlon Brando) he finds himself and his family in danger.

Cry, The Beloved Country (1995)

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Drama

Places Featured: Johannesburg, South Africa

The famous South African book (featured above) has been adapted to film twice and it was hard to determine which one to include here. The version that came out in 1951 starred the immeasurable Sydney Portier…and was especially powerful given its timing. We included the 1995 version of this movie set in South Africa, though, because it was the first film actually filmed in South Africa in the post-Apartheid era, starred James Earl Jones, was specifically recognized by the NAACP, and will reach modern audiences a little bit better. Both movies tell the story of a remote village preacher who must go to the city to search for his wayward son.

Red Dust (2004)

Rating: R

Genre: Drama

Places Featured: South Africa

Hilary Swank plays a New York City lawyer who grew up in South Africa and returns to her home to represent a black South African political activist (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) who was tortured under apartheid. It brings up many difficult issues that came with apartheid including the mental health of surviving victims, changing definitions of legal actions, and reconciliation and forgiveness. The movie can be slow, but it’s such an important story–especially in today’s political climate–that it should be watched and discussed. (And be sure you don’t accidentally get the 1932 movie Red Dust which has nothing to do with South Africa.)

Yesterday (2004)

Rating: R

Genre: Drama

Places Featured: South Africa

You’ll have to watch this movie with subtitles, but it is worth it. It’s a beautiful emotional film about a mother in a small village, named Yesterday and played by Leleti Khumalo, who discovers she has AIDS, but wants to do everything she can for her daughter to go to school. It’s a powerful representation of another tough subject that also greatly affects South Africa: AIDS and HIV. And it, again, tells the story of the strong South African people.

Tsotsi (2005)

Rating: R

Genre: Drama

Places Featured: Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa

Another movie that focuses on the strength of the South African people, Tsotsi is the story of a young homeless small time criminal who has had a tough life. After a series of violent gang activities involving him and his friends, he hijacks a car…and then discovers there’s a baby in the backseat. The movie then becomes a story of redemption and the power of the human spirit. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and can be watched dubbed or with subtitles.

Invictus (2009)

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Biography/Memoir, Drama, Historical, Health & Fitness/Sports & Recreation

Places Featured: South Africa

This movie tells the true story of how Nelson Mandela (played by Morgan Freeman) teamed up with the captain of the South African rugby team, Francois Pienaar (played by Matt Damon) to harness the power of sport to help unite a country trying to figure out its place after the end of apartheid. The movie was nominated for a wide range of awards and is just an emotional and exciting movie to watch–especially when you stop to realize it really is based on a true story.

Note from Jen: Invictus is a great “intro” movie to apartheid, Nelson Mandela, and the race issues in South Africa. It shows some of the challenges and frustrations in an accessible way.

Spud (2010)

Rating: N/A

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Places Featured: Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

While you won’t learn a whole lot about South Africa in this movie, it’s a nice of change of pace from some of the others on this list. It’s a delightful coming-of-age movie about Spud, a young average boy who finds himself in a prestigious boarding school in South Africa, navigating the usual issues facing teenage boys. It’s a sweet and honest story based on an equally funny book by John van de Ruit. There are two sequels, too! (Note: you’d have to know your children, but this could be enjoyed by some young adults.)

Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom (2013)

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Biography/Memoir, Drama, Historical

Places Featured: South Africa

It’s hard to capture the powerful and meaningful life of a renowned word leader into a two-hour movie (the autobiography this movie is based on, listed above, is more than 650 pages). But if you’re looking for a shortcut version of Nelson Mandela’s life with the images to go along with the story (they actually filmed some shots of his prison cell at Robben Island and at several other locations), this is definitely a good choice. Idris Elba (swoon!) plays the prisoner-turned-president and Naomie Harris plays his wife, Winnie.