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Peaches and Smeets
Growing up in Bakerton, Springs in the 1950s and ’60s, Smita (Smeets) Maharaj is puzzled by a great deal of adult behaviour. Why must her tall, handsome father be so obsequious to the police? Why must brown people sit in separate train carriages from white people? Why can’t her mother see how much more important it is for her to get a good education than to learn to make the perfect roti?
Caught between the beloved traditions of India and life in a quickly modernising South Africa, between family roots in Natal and a prosperous present in the Transvaal; between the madness of apartheid and the pull of her own desires, Smita struggles to find her feet in a world beset by contradictions.
Caught between the beloved traditions of India and life in a quickly modernising South Africa, between family roots in Natal and a prosperous present in the Transvaal; between the madness of apartheid and the pull of her own desires, Smita struggles to find her feet in a world beset by contradictions.
188 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 11, 2024
I was lucky enough to get a signed copy of Peaches and Smeets by @ashtijuggath1, which I chose to take with me on a trip to Zambia, and it was delightful.
Growing up in Bakerton, Springs in the 1950s and ’60s, Smita (Smeets) Maharaj is puzzled by a great deal of adult behaviour. Why must her tall, handsome father be so obsequious to the police? Why must brown people sit in separate train carriages from white people? Why can’t her mother see how much more important it is for her to get a good education than to learn to make the perfect roti?
Caught between the beloved traditions of India and life in a quickly modernising South Africa, between family roots in Natal and a prosperous present in the Transvaal; between the madness of apartheid and the pull of her own desires, Smita struggles to find her feet in a world beset by contradictions. As the Maharaj family expands and grows, and her mother’s twin obsessions with producing a son and finding suitable boys for her daughters to marry dominate the family’s discourse, Smita wrestles with satisfying her parents’ wishes and following her own path as she navigates her way through school and life – and comes to terms with a long-held, painful family secret.
I've never quite grasped the own voices genre until I picked this up. Being a South African Indian, there's never been a story that was reminiscent of the tendencies of these people, and believe me, they can be quite particular 😂
This was set in the 1950s to 1960s, so things have changed since, but Ashti captures Apartheid as it applied to Indians, and the phrases she uses are familiar and make me smile. Some of our older folk still behave in that way, and it's so well captured.
Apartheid not being enough, Ashti covers even darker themes and heartbreak in a way that has your eyes welling with tears.
This was a quick and excellent read that you should add to your TBR asap!
PS.. how pretty is that cover??
Growing up in Bakerton, Springs in the 1950s and ’60s, Smita (Smeets) Maharaj is puzzled by a great deal of adult behaviour. Why must her tall, handsome father be so obsequious to the police? Why must brown people sit in separate train carriages from white people? Why can’t her mother see how much more important it is for her to get a good education than to learn to make the perfect roti?
Caught between the beloved traditions of India and life in a quickly modernising South Africa, between family roots in Natal and a prosperous present in the Transvaal; between the madness of apartheid and the pull of her own desires, Smita struggles to find her feet in a world beset by contradictions. As the Maharaj family expands and grows, and her mother’s twin obsessions with producing a son and finding suitable boys for her daughters to marry dominate the family’s discourse, Smita wrestles with satisfying her parents’ wishes and following her own path as she navigates her way through school and life – and comes to terms with a long-held, painful family secret.
I've never quite grasped the own voices genre until I picked this up. Being a South African Indian, there's never been a story that was reminiscent of the tendencies of these people, and believe me, they can be quite particular 😂
This was set in the 1950s to 1960s, so things have changed since, but Ashti captures Apartheid as it applied to Indians, and the phrases she uses are familiar and make me smile. Some of our older folk still behave in that way, and it's so well captured.
Apartheid not being enough, Ashti covers even darker themes and heartbreak in a way that has your eyes welling with tears.
This was a quick and excellent read that you should add to your TBR asap!
PS.. how pretty is that cover??
July 18, 2024
Peaches and Smeets offers a rare glimpse into the lives of South African Indians during apartheid. Smita's (Smeets) viewpoint is front and centre but the author does provide insights into the thoughts of both her parents as well. Characters are richly drawn and multidimensional such that it was easy to identify with all of them.
Juggath's depiction of growing up in an Indian community in the 50's and 60's was fascinating, filled with rich detail. Her description of the food had me wishing she provided recipes, the descripions of rites and ritusls had me wishing the book was illustrated.
Apartheid is there in the background but does not impinge on the msin story, I also liked how the author, a pharmacist, alluded to the thalidomide debacle. Makes me wonder what else I missed.
As the end of the book approached I was concerned that the novel would conclude with Smita's wedding - too marry-the-handsome-prince-and-live-happily-ever-after for the empowering message. It was a relief to read the epilogue and learn of Smita's professional accomplishments.
My only criticism is the lack of translation for the few Afrikaans phrases which might make the book a little harder to read for those who do not understand the language.
Overall, a wonderful novel, highly recommended.
Juggath's depiction of growing up in an Indian community in the 50's and 60's was fascinating, filled with rich detail. Her description of the food had me wishing she provided recipes, the descripions of rites and ritusls had me wishing the book was illustrated.
Apartheid is there in the background but does not impinge on the msin story, I also liked how the author, a pharmacist, alluded to the thalidomide debacle. Makes me wonder what else I missed.
As the end of the book approached I was concerned that the novel would conclude with Smita's wedding - too marry-the-handsome-prince-and-live-happily-ever-after for the empowering message. It was a relief to read the epilogue and learn of Smita's professional accomplishments.
My only criticism is the lack of translation for the few Afrikaans phrases which might make the book a little harder to read for those who do not understand the language.
Overall, a wonderful novel, highly recommended.
January 22, 2025
An authentic account of a lesser-known piece of apartheid history. As a “born-free” Indian woman, having the stories of my foremothers being given such a poignant platform in the form of Peaches and Smeets was really powerful. This made the book an easy, quick read!
April 23, 2025
Wonderful peek into the lives of an Indian family set in the 1950s and 1960s - this book highlights both the rich lives of an Indian family and the dreadful time of the apartheid in South Africa! Riveting and sad at the same time!
March 25, 2026
An exquisite portrayal of this Indian family in the 60s in South Africa. I took a star away because i didn’t want it to end!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews