Bitter Fruit

Achmat Dangor

Set amidst the backdrop of South Africa's journey out of the apartheid era, this is a compelling and at times disturbing story in which the reader is witness to the intimate struggles of a family coming to terms with their past. The oppression and sense of rage gives the book a claustrophobic feel. It's one that you will be thinking about long after finishing.

Extract

Silas watched Du Boise disappear into the bright sunlight, watched the security guard watching him, and then turned away. The rage he felt was in his stomach, an acidity that made him fart sourly, out load, oblivious to the head-shaking group of shoppers who had gathered to witness a potential scene. The guard spoke into his radio, the cafe owner pointedly dragged the chair back to its neat place beneath the table. Silas's rage moved disconsolately into his heart.

Parallels