52 pages • 1 hour read
Bianca MaraisA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
On a visit back to Transkei, Beauty takes in the village where she grew up. She misses its customs and the trees and rivers. She feels sad that she’s mostly absent as her sons grow up, but she tells them that she can’t come home until she brings Nomsa with her as she promised. She tends to the graves of her first son, Mandla, and her husband, Silumko.
A last-minute call from work forces Edith to depart, so she arranges for Robin to stay with Victor for Christmas. Wearing new hot pants, Robin marvels at the stylish decor of Victor’s home. She recalls Christmas and how her parents argued about the lights and the star. She tells Victor that Edith gave her clothes and records and Beauty gave her a heart-shaped locket containing her parents’ pictures.
She changes into something more comfortable and accents her outfit with makeup and heart-shaped glasses. When she comes downstairs, she’s greeted by a dozen men attending Victor’s Christmas party. Victor introduces each person to Robin, and they have a feast better than any Robin has eaten before. She listens to the conversation and tries to keep up. After dinner, as Victor plays the piano and sings, a brick with a note attached shatters the window, hitting Johan’s temple.
Books About Art
View Collection
Books on Justice & Injustice
View Collection
Challenging Authority
View Collection
Colonialism & Postcolonialism
View Collection
Coming-of-Age Journeys
View Collection
Community
View Collection
Family
View Collection
Fear
View Collection
Friendship
View Collection
Grief
View Collection
Hate & Anger
View Collection
Loyalty & Betrayal
View Collection
Mortality & Death
View Collection
Nation & Nationalism
View Collection
Order & Chaos
View Collection
Power
View Collection
Revenge
View Collection
South African Literature
View Collection
The Future
View Collection
The Past
View Collection
Trust & Doubt
View Collection
Truth & Lies
View Collection
Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love
View Collection