Cry, The Beloved Country: 3 Stars

Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton

This book was a sad story of a South African man and his search for his son. Taking place pre-apartheid, the story helps gives a glimpse of the world in South Africa at that time. In Johannesburg, life is dangerous. Many people go and never return. A priest searches for his missing son, but with each new clue, the hope for his son gets worse and worse.

I wanted to like this book more than I did, but the reason I felt I didn't like it as much is probably culturally related. There were many things I simply didn't understand. While I have done some reading on South Africa around this time, the whole thing is still vague to me. Also, the lady who read the book, had a very monotone voice and nearly put me to sleep on several occasions. Please don't misunderstand my rating of three stars as saying this is a bad book. It is simply my ignorance that lends to my rating.

I highly recommend this book as it shows a world most Americas don't understand.