Struggling with its past, Cape Town is a city of shifting allegiances. A place where children go missing and remain gone. Law and order is an interesting concept in the Mother City but not a helpful one. Living on the edge emotionally, rogue investigator Ray Blessing must face her own tragedy as she searches for six missing children, hoping to find part of herself in the process.
I really enjoyed this book, mostly because of its authentic portrayal of an uncomfortably flawed protagonist. Ray Blessing is all too real, and she faithfully mirrors a myriad of complex emotional and moral struggles that most of us would much rather dance away from than face up to on a daily basis! And yet, it is this truthful telling of a far-from-pat story that makes A Backward Blessing such a good read. Fluffier books hit the enjoyable button much more easily, whereas this book hits the uncomfortable button and then slowly stews, and stays with you and asks you awkward questions long after you've finished reading it. On the whole? A deeply satisfying read, and I highly recommend it.