A review by sarabearian
Hum If You Don't Know the Words by Bianca Marais

I could not put this book down, I was so engrossed. In the first half you are introduced to Robin, a nine-year-old white girl being raised in 1970s Johannesburg. It's a mining town, but her father is the "boss", so Robin is pretty detached from the hardships of the trade. You're also introduced to Beauty, a single mom raising her children in a rural, blacks-only village. Marais incorporates a historic event in South Africa, the Soweto uprising, a series of demonstrations and protests led by black students. In the novel, the event leads to the death of Robin's parents, and the disappearance of Beauty's activist daughter. The paths of the two characters finally cross in the second half of the book, after Robin is sent to live with her aunt, who hires Beauty to care for Robin as she often travels for work. Robin's relationship with Beauty is touching, sometimes comedic, but also tragic. Beauty represents love and support, which Robin seldom had but always craved. Beauty's affection for Robin also grows, but she continues to search for her daughter, a search requiring her to associate with individuals standing up to apartheid. A devastating climax leads to satisfying self-discoveries for the characters, and if you're like me, you won't quite be ready to let the characters go once the book ends!
-Sara Z.