If You Want to Make God Laugh
Fiction
G.P. Putnam's Sons
2019
Hardcover
448
Purchased
In a squatter camp on the outskirts of Johannesburg, seventeen-year-old Zodwa lives in desperate poverty, under the shadowy threat of a civil war and a growing AIDS epidemic. Eight months pregnant, Zodwa carefully guards secrets that jeopardize her life.
Across the country, wealthy socialite Ruth appears to have everything her heart desires, but it's what she can't have that leads to her breakdown. Meanwhile, in Zaire, a disgraced former nun, Delilah, grapples with a past that refuses to stay buried. When these personal crises send both middle-aged women back to their rural hometown to lick their wounds, the discovery of an abandoned newborn baby upends everything, challenging their lifelong beliefs about race, motherhood, and the power of the past.
As the mystery surrounding the infant grows, the complicated lives of Zodwa, Ruth, and Delilah become inextricably linked. What follows is a mesmerizing look at family and identity that asks: How far will the human heart go to protect itself and the ones it loves?
My review:
I really enjoyed this author's debut novel Hum If You Don't Know the Words, so was excited to see how her follow up would be. As you know, second books can sometimes be a let down after being hyped after the success of the debut. Well not in this case! In fact while the writing style was stellar in both books, I think I liked the plot of this one even more! It's hard to review this one without giving too much away, but suffice it to say it's a story about three women in South Africa during the time of Mandela's election, and a baby that ties their stories all together. The book is written in alternating chapters from the viewpoint of each of the three women, and their characters were believable, relatable, and uplifting. While I didn't always agree with their actions, their thought processes were written to make sense for their personality and circumstance. I bought into these characters and story hook, line, and sinker 🙂 Their lives and decisions were not always easy or maybe even correct, but I was rooting for them at every turn! I thought the ending was satisfying as not everything turned out rosy (if it had it would have bordered on the unbelievable), but gave me hope when I closed the cover.
An incredible story of survival and what constitutes family, I would tell you not to miss this one!
I'm glad this one lives up to the hype after such a stellar debut!
I was very happy especially in light of a few misses from authors I've enjoyed in the past.
Thanks for stopping by Ethan!