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Hans van Rooyen is a former police general raised by two women who survived the 1899 South African War. He finds himself being cared for in an old age home by the daughter of liberation struggle activists. At 80, he carries with him the memories of crimes he committed as an officer under the apartheid government. Having eluded the public confessions at the TRC for his time in the Border Wars, he retained his position in the democratic South Africa, serving as an institutional memory for a new generation of police recruits. Zoe Zondi is tasked to care for the old man. Her gentle and compassionate nature prompts Hans to review his decision to go to the grave with all his secrets. Zoe has her own life story to tell and, as their unlikely bond deepens, strengthened by the isolation that COVID-19 lockdown brings, they provide a safe space for each other to say the things that are often left unsaid.
- GenresFiction
200 pages, Paperback
Published May 17, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 25, 2025
Novela directa, construida sobre una historia y varias genealogías, y en la que los personajes cumplen prolijamente su papel en función de la historia.
Cada capítulo es narrado por alguno de sus protagonistas, principalmente Madala, un viejo policía, ahora viviendo en una residencia de ancianos, atormentado por las crueldades de las que participó, y Zoe, su enfermera, negra y con una historia de participación en las acciones de rebelión contra el Apartheid.
El contexto es el del aislamiento sanitario durante la epidemia de Covid en 2020, y recorre, como trasfondo la historia de Sudáfrica desde la Guerra de los Bóers hasta el presente.
Cada personaje, con bastante coherencia, cumple bien su papel, y la historia aporta valiosos elementos para conocer la historia de Sudáfrica. Por estas características, en los que los personajes narran prolijamente su historia, y en la que, obviamente no caben trucos de ilusionista, resulta una narración muy instructiva e interesante, que por momentos pueda resultar un poco tediosa, aunque va regulando la introducción de sorpresas y golpes emocionales que lo atenúan.
Una novela correcta.
La edición que leí es en castellano, con el título También te convencieron, publicado por Editorial Empatía, Buenos Aires, 2025; ISBN 978 631-91328-1-6. La traducción del título es una opción para They got to you too; aunque admitiría otras traducciones más precisas, en este caso resulta apropiada para la historia.
Cada capítulo es narrado por alguno de sus protagonistas, principalmente Madala, un viejo policía, ahora viviendo en una residencia de ancianos, atormentado por las crueldades de las que participó, y Zoe, su enfermera, negra y con una historia de participación en las acciones de rebelión contra el Apartheid.
El contexto es el del aislamiento sanitario durante la epidemia de Covid en 2020, y recorre, como trasfondo la historia de Sudáfrica desde la Guerra de los Bóers hasta el presente.
Cada personaje, con bastante coherencia, cumple bien su papel, y la historia aporta valiosos elementos para conocer la historia de Sudáfrica. Por estas características, en los que los personajes narran prolijamente su historia, y en la que, obviamente no caben trucos de ilusionista, resulta una narración muy instructiva e interesante, que por momentos pueda resultar un poco tediosa, aunque va regulando la introducción de sorpresas y golpes emocionales que lo atenúan.
Una novela correcta.
La edición que leí es en castellano, con el título También te convencieron, publicado por Editorial Empatía, Buenos Aires, 2025; ISBN 978 631-91328-1-6. La traducción del título es una opción para They got to you too; aunque admitiría otras traducciones más precisas, en este caso resulta apropiada para la historia.
January 5, 2026
Nunca habría leído este libro de no ser por Pasaporte Literario. Me gustó muchísimo, aprendí un montón sobre la historia de Sudáfrica y del apartheid, es impresionante como con un par de personajes logran describir gran parte de la historia vivida por varias generaciones, lo que permite entender muchísimo toda la historia sudafricana. Tengo un puro conflicto, y es que siento que intentan blanquear mucho al personaje inicial, que es quien finalmente hizo más daño, y que sea un adulto mayor no elimina la violencia que ejerció. El resto del libro es excelente.
September 7, 2021
THEY GOT TO YOU TOO.
Told in the first-person by two very different people, unrelated by blood, but bound by their histories, both the personal and national. Zoe, a young black nurse in frail care, and Hans, an eighty-year old white Afrikaner, ex-military, carrying the weight of apartheid atrocities on his shoulder. The one for whom post-democracy heralded a new way of being and doing, shifting from baas to reporting to a black boss; looking forward to his retirement where he would not have to fraternise with the RAINBOW anything! Now a resident of the frail care facility Zoe worked at.
You can imagine the histories and legacies carried in both their personal stories. Hans is burdened, lonely and alone, Zoe indulges him at first, but then a cameradie develops once they create a safe space to share. Zoe carries our stories of townships crippled by smoldering fires burning the country into surrendering to freedom for all.
Beautifully written encompassing the 1899 South African War, moving through the decades to the politically charged upheavals, then the 80's when townships were burning and sons and daughters of black SAfrican parents were disappearing, to pre and post 1994, then resting at present day South Africa.
We all carry traumas, but must do our best to carve lives big and strong enough to accommodate our pasts.
Highly recommended. SAfrican violent histories did not end in 1994. We are still here struggling, but learning to live alongside them. A definite one-seating read. A page-turner of note placing the histories of women in struggles for liberation in the forefront. Whilst reading this, Gugulethu Mhlungu' YOU HAVE STRUCK A ROCK: Women fighting for their power in South Africa, specifically chapter 1, "The Truth and Reconciliation Commision and equality."
Thank you @panmacmillansa This was a stellar production and the COVER is OUTRAGEOUSLY RETRO.
#sabookstagrammers #bookclubsofsa #lorrainereviewsbooks #outstrips #proudlysouthafrican
#recommend
Told in the first-person by two very different people, unrelated by blood, but bound by their histories, both the personal and national. Zoe, a young black nurse in frail care, and Hans, an eighty-year old white Afrikaner, ex-military, carrying the weight of apartheid atrocities on his shoulder. The one for whom post-democracy heralded a new way of being and doing, shifting from baas to reporting to a black boss; looking forward to his retirement where he would not have to fraternise with the RAINBOW anything! Now a resident of the frail care facility Zoe worked at.
You can imagine the histories and legacies carried in both their personal stories. Hans is burdened, lonely and alone, Zoe indulges him at first, but then a cameradie develops once they create a safe space to share. Zoe carries our stories of townships crippled by smoldering fires burning the country into surrendering to freedom for all.
Beautifully written encompassing the 1899 South African War, moving through the decades to the politically charged upheavals, then the 80's when townships were burning and sons and daughters of black SAfrican parents were disappearing, to pre and post 1994, then resting at present day South Africa.
We all carry traumas, but must do our best to carve lives big and strong enough to accommodate our pasts.
Highly recommended. SAfrican violent histories did not end in 1994. We are still here struggling, but learning to live alongside them. A definite one-seating read. A page-turner of note placing the histories of women in struggles for liberation in the forefront. Whilst reading this, Gugulethu Mhlungu' YOU HAVE STRUCK A ROCK: Women fighting for their power in South Africa, specifically chapter 1, "The Truth and Reconciliation Commision and equality."
Thank you @panmacmillansa This was a stellar production and the COVER is OUTRAGEOUSLY RETRO.
#sabookstagrammers #bookclubsofsa #lorrainereviewsbooks #outstrips #proudlysouthafrican
#recommend
April 23, 2024
7/10 I think reading about South African history is enlightening. My only education on apartheid and what happened has been through museums and traveling through SA as we were never taught about it in school. Reading it feels so much more personal and like a deeper account of some of the horrors people there faced.
At the same time, the writing style is sometimes making me have to reread sentences to get the full meaning — the flow is off. I also wish the author told the history of these people and didn’t just come out and bluntly say the tragic thing that happened. It kills the emotional impact for me and leaves little to wonder about.
At the same time, the writing style is sometimes making me have to reread sentences to get the full meaning — the flow is off. I also wish the author told the history of these people and didn’t just come out and bluntly say the tragic thing that happened. It kills the emotional impact for me and leaves little to wonder about.
September 13, 2023
Rich with history and a vast array of characters, and overall imbued with compassion and kindness. Written in a concise, minimalist prose.
December 30, 2025
*Leí la traducción hecha en Chile*
Este libro jamás apareció en mi radar hasta que me llegó como parte de un regalo de navidad y lo agradezco mucho.
A pesar de que la historia transcurre en otro continente y en otra época, es difícil no ver paralelos entre lo vivido en Sudáfrica y en Chile en cuanto a los períodos más oscuros y cruentos de nuestra historia. La narración como motor y puente de encuentros a pesar de los años es un tema que me gustó mucho en este libro. Quizá no excomulgue culpas, pero si evita el olvido y la impunidad. No hay peor cárcel que la mente ante los arrepentimientos.
Este libro jamás apareció en mi radar hasta que me llegó como parte de un regalo de navidad y lo agradezco mucho.
A pesar de que la historia transcurre en otro continente y en otra época, es difícil no ver paralelos entre lo vivido en Sudáfrica y en Chile en cuanto a los períodos más oscuros y cruentos de nuestra historia. La narración como motor y puente de encuentros a pesar de los años es un tema que me gustó mucho en este libro. Quizá no excomulgue culpas, pero si evita el olvido y la impunidad. No hay peor cárcel que la mente ante los arrepentimientos.
July 22, 2025
Some connections form in the least expected spaces. ‘They Got to You Too’ by Futhi Ntshingila begins in the halls of a care home and is set during the peak of Covid. It is here that Hans van Rooyen, a retired police general, meets Zoe Zondi, the nurse assigned to look after him. Their worlds seem distant at first. He carries the weight of his years in the apartheid police force, and she comes from a family that resisted everything he once upheld. But as the days unfold, their stories start to edge closer.
In this last stretch of Hans’ life, the guilt, shame, and an assortment of previously unfelt feelings that he avoided begin to rankle him. Zoe enters his life as a stranger, but something in her patience, and gentle insistence, creates an inviting space for him.
And for Zoe too. She works to fund her travels, spending months at a time collecting stories from other places, other lives. She is used to moving. Caring for Hans forces her to remain still, to engage in conversations that bring her a certain solace she never knew she sought.
Ntshingila tells their story through voices that shift across time, bringing in people and moments from Hans’ past that shaped him. I felt like the novel was like a room, where I’m sitting across this unfolding conversation, not only because of what the characters reveal but also because of what they choose to keep close.
Ntshingila packs a lot into this small room. And because of this there are some portions that inevitably don’t have enough on them. Hans’ early life with the women who raised him, Zoe’s experiences beyond her work, and some other skeins remain lightly sketched. The novel offers glimpses, but often moves on before they form a full shape.
Even so, what remains is striking. Ntshingila writes with care about regret, those moments that remain with us. And while I knew about apartheid, I wasn’t aware of many of the details, and this novel has been a tiny education. I think Ntshingila also has a message for us - that no matter your experiences or your actions, there’s healing in compassion and inner peace in acknowledging one’s truths. To forgive and be forgiven brings hope.
Ntshingila leaves us with these reflections at the end of this lovely story. One you need to read too. Glad I found this in my library for my July’s #readanewcountry challenge!
In this last stretch of Hans’ life, the guilt, shame, and an assortment of previously unfelt feelings that he avoided begin to rankle him. Zoe enters his life as a stranger, but something in her patience, and gentle insistence, creates an inviting space for him.
And for Zoe too. She works to fund her travels, spending months at a time collecting stories from other places, other lives. She is used to moving. Caring for Hans forces her to remain still, to engage in conversations that bring her a certain solace she never knew she sought.
Ntshingila tells their story through voices that shift across time, bringing in people and moments from Hans’ past that shaped him. I felt like the novel was like a room, where I’m sitting across this unfolding conversation, not only because of what the characters reveal but also because of what they choose to keep close.
Ntshingila packs a lot into this small room. And because of this there are some portions that inevitably don’t have enough on them. Hans’ early life with the women who raised him, Zoe’s experiences beyond her work, and some other skeins remain lightly sketched. The novel offers glimpses, but often moves on before they form a full shape.
Even so, what remains is striking. Ntshingila writes with care about regret, those moments that remain with us. And while I knew about apartheid, I wasn’t aware of many of the details, and this novel has been a tiny education. I think Ntshingila also has a message for us - that no matter your experiences or your actions, there’s healing in compassion and inner peace in acknowledging one’s truths. To forgive and be forgiven brings hope.
Ntshingila leaves us with these reflections at the end of this lovely story. One you need to read too. Glad I found this in my library for my July’s #readanewcountry challenge!
September 28, 2021
When retired police general Hans van Rooyen finds himself in an old-age home, frail, anxious and alone, the last thing he expects is to be cared for by the daughter of former freedom fighters.
They Got to You Too, SA writer Futhi Ntshingila’s third novel, is a multilayered tale about the power of compassion.
Van Rooyen, referred to as “Madala”, was raised by two women who survived the 1899 South African War — his “oumagrootjie” (great-grandmother) and family servant Kristina, on the farm Groot Dame. At 80, he carries with him the memories of crimes he committed as an officer under the apartheid government. Having eluded public confession at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for his time in the Border Wars, he retained his position in the new SA because his knowledge and experience was seen as a way to preserve institutional memory for a new generation of police recruits.
In the care home, Van Rooyen is plagued by ghosts and his nightmares are brutal: “When a man comes face-to-face with mortality, he battles. I suppose my default is rage but this time, I must admit, my mind is already surrendering. I am fooling no one. I feel myself going down the drain. I fear the unknown.”
Zoe Zondi is brought in to care for the troubled old man. A nurse by profession, she works six months of the year and travels the other six, recording her adventures for news outlets that pay her good money. Zoe’s gentle and compassionate nature prompts him to review his decision to go to the grave with all his secrets: “I know that you cannot kill another without killing bits of yourself in the process. There are many of us, walking zombies, who may have evaded the law and the TRC but are in the loop of our own torturous Groundhog Day,” he says.
Zoe has her own life story to tell and, as their unlikely bond deepens, they are forced into isolation when the Covid-19 lockdown is announced. Their seclusion provides a safe space for each to say the things often left unsaid: “We wear many masks, Mkhulu,” Zoe tells him. “Thank you for letting me put mine down for a bit and for showing me your face without your mask. I am sure you were a beautiful little boy; I saw a glimpse of him today. We are made of madness, Mkhulu. Madness.”
Through first-person narration, by a number of recurring characters from the past and the present, Ntshingila creates a sense of intimacy and emotional connection between her characters and the reader.
Ntshingila tackles complex topics, from the role of women in SA society, the concept of chosen family, fractured relationships between fathers and sons, to toxic masculinity and the burden of history. It is a deeply thought-provoking story of love, loss and reconciliation.
They Got to You Too, SA writer Futhi Ntshingila’s third novel, is a multilayered tale about the power of compassion.
Van Rooyen, referred to as “Madala”, was raised by two women who survived the 1899 South African War — his “oumagrootjie” (great-grandmother) and family servant Kristina, on the farm Groot Dame. At 80, he carries with him the memories of crimes he committed as an officer under the apartheid government. Having eluded public confession at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for his time in the Border Wars, he retained his position in the new SA because his knowledge and experience was seen as a way to preserve institutional memory for a new generation of police recruits.
In the care home, Van Rooyen is plagued by ghosts and his nightmares are brutal: “When a man comes face-to-face with mortality, he battles. I suppose my default is rage but this time, I must admit, my mind is already surrendering. I am fooling no one. I feel myself going down the drain. I fear the unknown.”
Zoe Zondi is brought in to care for the troubled old man. A nurse by profession, she works six months of the year and travels the other six, recording her adventures for news outlets that pay her good money. Zoe’s gentle and compassionate nature prompts him to review his decision to go to the grave with all his secrets: “I know that you cannot kill another without killing bits of yourself in the process. There are many of us, walking zombies, who may have evaded the law and the TRC but are in the loop of our own torturous Groundhog Day,” he says.
Zoe has her own life story to tell and, as their unlikely bond deepens, they are forced into isolation when the Covid-19 lockdown is announced. Their seclusion provides a safe space for each to say the things often left unsaid: “We wear many masks, Mkhulu,” Zoe tells him. “Thank you for letting me put mine down for a bit and for showing me your face without your mask. I am sure you were a beautiful little boy; I saw a glimpse of him today. We are made of madness, Mkhulu. Madness.”
Through first-person narration, by a number of recurring characters from the past and the present, Ntshingila creates a sense of intimacy and emotional connection between her characters and the reader.
Ntshingila tackles complex topics, from the role of women in SA society, the concept of chosen family, fractured relationships between fathers and sons, to toxic masculinity and the burden of history. It is a deeply thought-provoking story of love, loss and reconciliation.
February 27, 2025
Essa leitura foi uma surpresa. Amei demais! É necessária e sensível.
They got to you too é um livro muito bem escrito e que apresenta profundamente dois pontos da história do apartheid na África do Sul: um senhor branco que era do exército e que cometeu muitos crimes contra negros enquanto trabalhava e agora está em uma casa de repouso, precisando de cuidados, e uma enfermeira - a que cuida dele - que passou pela fase do apartheid na adolescência.
O encontro deles e as coincidências das vivências são muito boas! Eu amei acompanhar as histórias de vida de Zoe, desde a história de sua avó materna. As partes narradas por Madala não são lá tão legais, mas quando as coincidências entre eles acontecem, a leitura fica ainda melhor. Ah, a conversa se passa durante a pandemia de COVID-19.
Ler a parte em que Zoe lê sobre a avó de Madala, entender o que muitas mulheres - brancas e negras - viveram durante a guerra contra os ingleses... A forma como Madala depois foi cuidado por seu pai... Que leitura gostosa e sensível! Amei que depois temos os escritos também do filho e neto de Madala, entendendo o que o personagem fez de grave, que impactou suas próximas gerações.
Amei, amei, amei essa leitura! Amei entender melhor sobre a guerra e o apartheid na África do Sul. O racismo é bem explícito aqui e dói ler. São atitudes e situações dolorosas! Leitura extremamente recomendada.
"The people preferred Lies dressed as Truth. They didn't want to see the real naked Truth and so naked Truth climbed back in the water and sank into its depths." (68%)
They got to you too é um livro muito bem escrito e que apresenta profundamente dois pontos da história do apartheid na África do Sul: um senhor branco que era do exército e que cometeu muitos crimes contra negros enquanto trabalhava e agora está em uma casa de repouso, precisando de cuidados, e uma enfermeira - a que cuida dele - que passou pela fase do apartheid na adolescência.
O encontro deles e as coincidências das vivências são muito boas! Eu amei acompanhar as histórias de vida de Zoe, desde a história de sua avó materna. As partes narradas por Madala não são lá tão legais, mas quando as coincidências entre eles acontecem, a leitura fica ainda melhor. Ah, a conversa se passa durante a pandemia de COVID-19.
Ler a parte em que Zoe lê sobre a avó de Madala, entender o que muitas mulheres - brancas e negras - viveram durante a guerra contra os ingleses... A forma como Madala depois foi cuidado por seu pai... Que leitura gostosa e sensível! Amei que depois temos os escritos também do filho e neto de Madala, entendendo o que o personagem fez de grave, que impactou suas próximas gerações.
Amei, amei, amei essa leitura! Amei entender melhor sobre a guerra e o apartheid na África do Sul. O racismo é bem explícito aqui e dói ler. São atitudes e situações dolorosas! Leitura extremamente recomendada.
"The people preferred Lies dressed as Truth. They didn't want to see the real naked Truth and so naked Truth climbed back in the water and sank into its depths." (68%)
January 7, 2026
tenía dudas sobre leerlo porque a primera vista no era un libro que llamara mi atención, pero desde que lo empecé me atrapó. Me gustó todo lo que aprendí de la historia de Sudáfrica, la importancia que tienen las mujeres para el desarrollo de la novela, y que a pesar de ser una historia tan dura, no fue una lectura pesada. Me encantó como todo estaba relacionado, encontrando su forma sin verse forzado y la escala de grises de los personajes. Recomendaría esta novela y me gustaría que fuera más conocida para poder comentarla con todo el mundo.
January 17, 2026
Esta obra marca mi primera incursión en la literatura sobre el apartheid. A través de una narrativa conmovedora, descubrimos el peso del legado histórico, las cicatrices de la memoria colectiva, las herencias familiares no resueltas y el complejo camino hacia la reconciliación en Sudáfrica. Un recordatorio poderoso de que el pasado siempre espera ser enfrentado, sin importar cuánto tiempo haya transcurrido.
May 3, 2022
Outside of some minor historical points and neat coincidences, I enjoyed the story. I wish Futhi would have dug a little deeper though into all of the character stories. It's also the first book I've read where the events of the early worldwide lockdown are part of the story.
January 9, 2025
Once again a book covering subjects I am deeply interested from a country that holds my heart. Excellent tale written in the seemingly popular style from multiple protagonists perspectives
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