A review by nothingforpomegranted
Scatterlings by Rešoketšwe Manenzhe

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I read this book over the span of nearly six months, which is an incredibly long time to be reading such a short novel. Indeed, I kept putting it down and feeling no real pull to pick it back up. However, each time I did return to it, I found that I had surprisingly strong recall of the events and stories that had preceded the current reading session, which is almost certainly a testament to Manenzhe’s skillful, poetic writing and character building. 

Indeed, I was pulled into the construction of mythology and the stark differences among Alisa and her depression, Abram and his disappointment, and Dido and her curiosity. Each of these three characters and their perspectives brought a greater depth to the story as it explored racism, history, mental health, marriage, mythology, and parenthood. The integration of South African mythology and the impact of sexual morality laws in this period was deft and intriguing, but I lost track of a lot of the stories and names as I was reading.