`Buckingham Palace', District six

by Richard Rive

The novel traces close community of District Six through its moments of triumph and despair, its loves, its hatreds- and its bizarre characters. In 1966 parts of District Six were declared for white occupation only, in terms of South Africa's notorious Group Areas Act. The inhabitants were forced to leave for the bleak wastelands of the Cape Flats.

Genres: Africa, South Africa, Historical Fiction, Fiction, School, Historical, High School

236 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Kathryn Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was about six years old, this book was made into a radio drama. I remember listening to it every Sunday night, not quite understanding it, but enjoying it never the less. Now, twenty years later I have read the book, and do understand it. It took me a long time to finish this book, not because I wasn't enjoying it, but because I didn't want to reach the end; for, I knew what happens at the end of the book, and it is sad, horrifying and desolate. The writer captured the lives of the people living in District Six extremely well; portraying their culture and sense of community in a vibrant manner. It pains me to read of how South Africa, my country, tore that community to pieces with its Group Areas Act. This book exposed the true brutality of that Act and what it meant for the people of District Six and so many other communities. Out of all of the Apartheid laws established over the years, I believe this was one of the worst... forcing people to abbandon the homes they had grown up in, forced to live in areas set aside for them, that had no community, and terrible living conditions, grouping people together because of what race they were; desegnating the best areas for the white people and the worst for all the other races. I cried on reaching the end of this book, when the last inhabitants of Buckingham Palace in District Six were torn apart, forced to watch the bulldozers demolish their house. I am glad there are books like this out there, to remind us of our past... to remind us what we as humans can subject each other to. To remind us of people like Zoot, Pretty-Boy, Mary, The Jungle Boys, Mrs Knight... to remind us that their story was real and how unjust laws wripped them all apart, exposing them to a new and grim reality.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and unbearably sad. Richard Rive is a master of observation and dry humour. One of the best books ever.

[Liesl · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Grandpa was a child of District Six and therefore this book hit very close to home. After reading this book, I wish I'd asked my Grandpa more questions about what it was like to live in such a warm, tight-knit community. This book fills some of the gaps. I hurt for the people who were removed, forcibly from their homes... And it is still happening in 2016 where gentrification is uprooting communities to suit the white/rich and their swelling pockets.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully evocative look at the slums of Cape Town through the colorful characters and their travails. The writing zips the reader through the incidents that make a bad part of town a community for its residents in the face of advesity and hardships in Apartheid South Africa

[Tracey the Lizard Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this at school about 10 years ago, very funny and terribly sad. First book to actually make me cry!

[Kathleen Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a niche-little novel. I only came across it because I was reading everything I could about South Africa before I went there this summer. District Six is a section of Cape Town where its Colored, black, white, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim residents were poor but happy, and thrived on a spirit of eccentric community, and which was literally bulldozed over when the Apartheid government legalized the theft of land that white people wanted.

But this novel isn't about the disintegration of the community -- it is about its vibrancy. The characters are real "characters" (har har), so different from each other but all in love with life, and eternally hopeful despite massive hardship and trauma. This little street, whose residents ironically name 'Buckingham Palace, is a microcosm of the deep loss of humanity that characterizes the Apartheid era.

District Six residents and other non-whites were relocated starting (I think) in the 1960s to the Cape Flats, (intentionally) barely-accessible inland pocket of land which quickly became overcrowded and subject to all the ills of urban poverty, and apparently still is. Maybe the cruelest irony is that the land stood empty and undeveloped under growing opposition to Apartheid policies. Nelson Mandela initiated a system whereby former residents could reclaim property in the area, but as of our visit there this summer, only a relative few families had been able to benefit from the program, which apparently is continuously stalled by disagreements within factions of the South African government. The District Six Museum was closed the day we would have been able to go, and when we considered going just to see what it looked like, Cape Town locals told us that other than the museum there was nothing else to see. It's just empty land.

Fun fact: The sci-fi thriller District 9 is based on the real-life District Six.

[Nadine Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was first introduced to 'Buckingham Palace, District Six' as a play during my childhood, and while I always knew the outline of the story, it wasn’t until I read the book that I truly understood the weight and meaning behind it. Reading it now, as an adult and a born-free South African from Cape Town, the story resonated with me in ways I could never have anticipated as a child.

This book doesn’t just recount the physical destruction of a vibrant, close-knit community under apartheid—it captures the emotional and spiritual devastation of being ripped from your home, your neighbours, your culture, and ultimately your identity. Institutionalized racism—apartheid—wasn't just a legal system; it was a weapon that shattered lives and erased histories.

Rive’s storytelling is both nostalgic and heart-wrenching. He brings the characters to life with warmth, humour, and a deep respect for their resilience. These were people who laughed and loved in the face of indignity, who found joy in the ordinary even while living under extraordinary oppression. And although apartheid may officially be over, its legacy still lingers—especially in communities like the Cape Flats, which remain marginalized, under-resourced, and often misrepresented.

As someone born after apartheid, I’m part of the so-called "born-free" generation—but we are not free of the consequences. The coloured community continues to grapple with a fragmented identity, forced to define itself in a country that too often forgets or misunderstands us. And yet, through it all, we have built something beautiful from the brokenness. We have made our own culture, our own community, and our own pride—though at a heartbreaking cost.

'Buckingham Palace, District Six' is not just a story of a lost neighbourhood—it is a tribute to the spirit of those who lived there, a memorial to what was stolen, and a reminder of what still needs to be reclaimed. Long live District Six. May its memory never fade.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable, interesting and entertaining characters, funny at times but also very sincere and touching. Captures very dark, sad part South African history. Not just a great book but also very important, I think.

This book doesn't seem to be that well known, I am not sure why. I think this might be the best book I have read this year and the best book I have read by a South African author.

The sense of community presented in the story is very beautiful. It seems like District 6 was a lively place. 'Oubaas' really made me laugh and makes me feel happy! I also felt touched by the relationship between Moena and Pretty Boy. Many memorable characters and scenes.

I was also left feeling angry, disgusted, and bewildered by the forced removals and segregation of apartheid. It is heartbreaking.

A favourite funny scene for me is the 'businessman' scene when the Inspector visits 'Winsor Park'!

[Magda w RPA · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a very beautiful and well thought through novel to convey the feelings of the characters and the author as it’s semi-autobiographical. It’s a story about a community that was destroyed in a horrible way and about people whose lives were turned upside down.
I live in Cape Town so naturally I’m quite familiar with the history of District Six, but somehow it’s through art that for me history becomes real and so heartbreaking.
The one issue that I have with the book is the presentation of problematic masculinity as positive (violent, honour-defending, emotionless etc) and the preoccupation with sexual conduct of women. Of course, the author was the product of his times but it did stand out for me.

[Carla Conradie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a magnificently readable, hilarious, and heartbreaking piece of historical fiction that conveys beautiful and harsh truths. There is no judgment in the construction of its wonderfully colourful and complex characters, they all are simply and imperfectly human and exist together to create the beautiful thing that was, and still is in our memories, District Six.
I feel humbled as a young white South African to have access to stories like this that the government of my grandparents' generation tried so very hard to erase. Rive is owed a great debt of gratitude for telling us these stories and enabling every reader to respond to Zoot's plea on the very last page that "we must never forget". We can now all remember the characters and incidents.

[Ashleigh Blignaut · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had so much heart and I think that's what the author was trying to show...the heart of the people in district six, and the way that the coloured community takes care of each other without giving it a second thought.

There are no major plotlines in this book (other than the obvious event) but the characters and the humour keep you reading. These characters felt so real to me and I know I'm going to be thinking about this book forever. Also I was obsessed with Zoot. Would die for him.

My only complaint is that this book made me laugh for the first 150 pages and then gave me emotional whiplash when I cried in the last 50 pages. I wish this had been one of my school books.

[Gareth Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

An emotional account of the people of District Six in Cape Town, whose homes were bulldozed to make way for a white only area. Some 50 years later and the area is still a waste land. This is a story of the struggle of people just to get by and the mess that surrounded that. Sad and funny in equal measure.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could only have five books ever, this would be one of them. I read this growing up and only found my own copy this week. It makes me smile, it makes me cry at multiple points throughout it, it’s not pretending to be anything it isn’t. The ending line has still left me feeling choked up 15 minutes after finishing it.

[Kaylee Cullen]

This was the book we studied in school. I really feel that the characters in the book are my family and friends. This is a historical True story about the lives of district Six. Think this book is so great because it is part of South Africans history, our history.

[Mandisa Ngwenya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting! was left wanting to know more. Especially as its based on fact

[Hannah (Taylor's Version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this book for school and its actually so amazing, i really loved this

[Rayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely gorgeous book. You grow to love all the characters and are shattered as they are shattered. This is a tribute to District 6 and it is a book I will never forget.

[Kathy Buys · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important part of South Africa’s history portrayed beautifully with real human interest stories

[lily ⟡₊⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"the flame flickered for some time determined to stay alive" ... wow

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites of all time

[Bianca · Rating 2 out of 5]

read for gr 9 literature. pretty boring

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up hearing stories of District Six from my grandparents, about the different families, the homes, their neighbours. And while District Six was long gone before I ever went to Cape Town, I could picture it all so vividly from those stories. It felt like one of my great aunts or uncles were telling me the stories of Buckingham Palace.

Obviously going into the book I knew how it would end, but I still found myself crying through the last few chapters.

[ROBIN · Rating 2 out of 5]

the book is nice

[aziza · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to read this book for school and I'm glad I did. It puts a lot of things into perspective; apartheid, community, family, chosen family and, the concept of morality. This is not a book I would pick up usually but it was so so good and would 100% recommend it.


The ending was not what I expected yet I still saw it coming. I knew the ending was coming but didn't realize how devastating it would be.

P.S: I loved the writing and pacing

[Jarret Lovell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Simply beautiful. A warm, wonderful tribute to District Six - its people, its history, and those who resisted relocation.

Widely heralded as a fantastic piece of historical fiction, it is everything a book that tells such an important story should be: informative, touching, inspiring. To be sure, District Six was the ethnically-diverse neighborhood in the heart of Cape Town that was bulldozed after the apartheid government declared it a "whites only" neighborhood under the Group Areas Act. Buckingham Palace is a buiding comprised of several apartments that houses the characters who serve as the focal point of this novel. We meet Mary, who runs a brothel; the Jungle Boys who are the "enforcers" of the area - going after anyone who causes harm to friends or family; there's Katzen - the Jewish landlord, there's Pretty Boy who has a "friend" who can get you anything you need at such a bargain that it's free. And there's Zoot - poet and pickpocket, dancer and delighter. Along with his "guardian angel," Zoot oversees the Palace. Throughout the novel, we get to know each character, and we come to respect them - flaws and all.

The book is divided into three parts: before the Group Areas Act is declared, declaration, and enforcement. But apartheid is not the focus of the novel. Instead, minor and passing references are made to apartheid. As the book progresses, it becomes more apparent that the government is intent on destroying this most precious (and diverse) of neighborhoods and "relocate" its residents to townships in the Cape Flats. Should the residents resist, or will this only cause more trouble?

It may come as a surprise that a book covering such a sad chapter in history should be so funny. Indeed it is, with characters as colorful as the rainbow nation. This is a fantastic book, a beautiful read with rich characters and a slice of history. Instead of providing readers with a requiem, Rive gifts his readers with a look at a proud people and a vibrant community that thrived in the midst of apartheid. Highly recommended.

[Rh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, insightful and humanising picture of an often overlooked part of Cape Town's history. The debate around whether or not district 6 should be built upon or kept as empty fields still rages in the city, and the residents who grew up in the area and called it home have been displaced and disempowered across the cape flats for a generation and a half already. Richard Rive builds the strength of the Coloured community, then lets the forces of apartheid tear it down before your eyes, giving an honest and painful recollection of the injustice that has not yet been reconciled.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant.
Of the books I read recently the one that touched me most.
I laughed and cried with Buckingham's people, celebrated and suffered with them. It's characters written to endure, despite all the hardships handed to them.
I'd give it six stars if I could

[K Flewelling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buckingham Palace refers to a set of five houses in District 6, a district that was formerly located in Cape Town, South Africa before it was declared a white-only district under the apartheid government. This novel details the characters who lived there in a way that makes you feel like they are people that you also know, and love. The book is divided into three time periods, and you jump through time, as the sunset gradually falls on this district and its characters and their homes are erased from the physical world -- but never from memory. It is a beautiful capture of the devastation of losing your home and your community, but choosing viciously to always remember. That is always our right.

[Mymoena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't be unbiased about this book, it tells my grandmother's story, and countless others in my family, who had the 'misfortune' of being Coloured in South Africa.

I have re-read this as often as I have been able to and I haven't read anything since that relates a story that I can say this is how my people were treated, and here is how they lived and loved.

A poignant and important text where there is sadly too much of a void, the number of writers of Colour from Cape Town who tell our stories are few and far between. This book is a treasure, even those who have no ties to the place or people are likely to get something out of it.

But those of us who do, I dare you to read this and not be moved.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent little book this very nearly a five star one but as it was a little short it was maybe just a little 'light' for that..however this book is episodical in nature and tells the days in the life of some fascinating characters who are at turns God fearing..cagey..lustful..and to be honest almost every other part of the human condition you can think of.
And that's why it works despite culturally it reflecting a different people with different experiences and values plus holding up a mirror to apartheid times south Africa this is a book of human condition(s) and as such there's much to amuse but also stuff to digest.
So if you see this book somewhere give it a go it's not a book of royalty but a book about characters in a precinct of south Africa...great stuff.