South Africa, 1976: Joshua lives with his mother in the maid's room located in the backyard of their wealthy white employers' house in a city by the sea. While he initially doesn't quite understand the anti-apartheid struggle going on around him, his rescue of a stranger and the riots that begin to sweep the country put him face-to-face with it. As he discovers the despair weighing down the world beneath him, he must make heartbreaking decisions that will change his life forever. In this genuine, quietly unflinching, and beautifully nuanced novel, a veteran journalist captures a child's-eye view of the struggle that shaped a nation and riveted the world.
"A good complement to nonfiction about apartheid South Africa, a little-explored place and period in children's literature."
Kirkus Reviews
"Set in 1970s South Africa, this tale is about Joshua, a young boy struggling to survive the racial legacy of apartheid...the work serves to address a critical aspect of world history and can be a valuable addition to school libraries."
School Library Journal
"Through the eyes of an innocent boy trying to fathom the injustice and brutality of apartheid, as well as his own potentially violent role in the struggle, Warman presents a gripping personal portrait of a horrific chapter in South Africa's history."
