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gbatts's review against another edition
3.0
This one is tough to rate.
I love the name and I think it perfectly captures what the novel is trying to achieve. Both in derogatory nickname given to women who are trying to improve their station in life, and literal gold diggers who flocked to the colonial world on gamble to make their fortune.
Starting the novel, it reads like torture porn. Then reading the author’s intro, it’s clear she made those choices to shock sympathy into the reader. This meant the book read like a Cosmo long read on the horrendous things that can happen to undocumented migrants.
To me, the book was strongest in the fourth part, where many of the characters had been stripped away and we were left with a more realised narrative of the remaining characters. It was here we started to get a better sense of Jo’burg as a city as well, it’s geography, it’s politics and its culture.
I love the name and I think it perfectly captures what the novel is trying to achieve. Both in derogatory nickname given to women who are trying to improve their station in life, and literal gold diggers who flocked to the colonial world on gamble to make their fortune.
Starting the novel, it reads like torture porn. Then reading the author’s intro, it’s clear she made those choices to shock sympathy into the reader. This meant the book read like a Cosmo long read on the horrendous things that can happen to undocumented migrants.
To me, the book was strongest in the fourth part, where many of the characters had been stripped away and we were left with a more realised narrative of the remaining characters. It was here we started to get a better sense of Jo’burg as a city as well, it’s geography, it’s politics and its culture.
michellegroenewald's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
snazy_vilazy's review
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
booksbycc's review against another edition
4.0
The Gold Diggers - Sue Nyathi
Published 2019
"To Sabelo my darling son, you have taught me the true meaning of love"
.
I couldn't put this book down.
It drew me in, scared me, made my skin crawl, made me question my country men and basic humanity.
Thank you @bargainbookssa for the opportunity to read this and to present it to everyone
.
Hello Book Buddies
Published 2019
"To Sabelo my darling son, you have taught me the true meaning of love"
.
I couldn't put this book down.
It drew me in, scared me, made my skin crawl, made me question my country men and basic humanity.
Thank you @bargainbookssa for the opportunity to read this and to present it to everyone
.
Hello Book Buddies
mizapip's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Eating disorder
shonatiger's review against another edition
2.0
2, because I found the writing distractingly choppy - but 2.5, because the stories were interesting, and because they're the stories of my country. (Really hated the sex scenes
flowahh_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
readingnomad's review against another edition
3.0
This is a story of migrants from Zimbabwe forced to leave home due to economic hardship and now seek refuge in South Africa and the UK. I like that The Gold Diggers explores immigration within the African continent because contrary to popular narrative, most of migration in Africa occurs within the continent. The story is rich in characters whose backgrounds are revealed to show their motivations. Leaving home is NOT easy. The journey is tumultuous and legal documentation is hard to come by. What I found intriguing is the role some state actors play in the documentation process. Nyathi maps out how permits and citizenship can be purchased. You will be sad, shocked, and ultimately be empathic to their plight because they are humanised. Although the themes explored are heavy, this was an engaging read. Migration is currently a chat dominating topic and this is a must read. We need more stories on Africans migrating within the continent.
xh_reads's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Sue Nyathi executed her vision well in humanising the people behind the headlines when xenophobic attacks happen in South Africa. I also appreciate how true to real life the story is in that it is unpredictable. This book should be read by all South Africans.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Trafficking, and Murder