10 books about South Africa

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No synopsis available at the moment.

"Timely corporate history--as exciting and poignant as any good tale of derring-do against great odds by all-too-flawed giants. " - Kirkus Reviews With a scholar's precision and a novelist's eye, Stefan Kanfer tells the inside story of De Beers Consolidated Mines - from the nineteenth century diamond rush that transformed Johannes De Beer's humble South African farm into an exotic klondike, to the Oppenheimers' shadow empire that has achieved umatched global reach.

A fast-paced saga weaves fact and fiction on a journey through hundreds of years of South African history, focusing on Willem van Doorn and ten generations of his descendants as they endure the region's endless racial conflicts. Book available.

LOVING THY NEIGHBOR IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE. Hortensia James and Marion Agostino are neighbors. One is black, the other white. Both are successful women with impressive careers. Both have recently been widowed, and are living with questions, disappointments, and secrets that have brought them shame. And each has something that the woman next door deeply desires. Sworn enemies, the two share a hedge and a deliberate hostility, which they maintain with a zeal that belies their age. But, one day, an unexpected event forces Hortensia and Marion together. As the physical barriers between them collapse, their bickering gradually softens into conversation, which yields a discovery of shared experiences. But are these sparks of connection enough to ignite a friendship, or is it too late to expect these women to change? The U.S. debut of an Etisalat Prize finalist, The Woman Next Door is a winning story of the common ground we sometimes find in unexpected places, told with wit and wry humor.

No synopsis available at the moment.

No synopsis available at the moment.

No synopsis available at the moment.

A modern saga that could only have come from South Africa, written in gorgeous prose by the Booker Prize-shortlisted author Damon Galgut. Haunted by an unmet promise, the Swart family loses touch after the death of their matriarch. Adrift, the lives of the three siblings move separately through the uncharted waters of South Africa; Anton, the golden boy who bitterly resents his life's unfulfilled promises; Astrid, whose beauty is her power; and the youngest, Amor, whose life is shaped by a nebulous feeling of guilt. Reunited by four funerals over three decades, the dwindling family reflects the atmosphere of its country -- an atmosphere of resentment, renewal, and--ultimately--hope. The Promise is an epic drama that unfurls against the unrelenting march of national history, sure to please current fans and attract many new ones. "Galgut will be seen as one of the great literary triumphs of South Africa's transition [ . . . ] in every way the equal of J. M. Coetzee."--Rian Malan, author of My Traitor's Heart

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