Darlings of Durban

by Shafinaaz Hassim

Natasha is the owner of a successful beauty company and is in a long-term relationship with the charming Sizwe. However, she has no interest in marriage or in becoming a traditional makoti. She has it all figured out. Until a fateful encounter with a handsome stranger . . .
When Natasha makes an impulsive decision, she has to navigate the unfamiliar complexities of love, life and desire. She turns to the ‘Darlings’ WhatsApp group for advice; these women are her lifeline. There’s Sofia who seems to have it all, while the cousins, Farhana and Razia, both find themselves in complicated marriages.
But whatever life throws their way, these darlings always have one another’s backs.

208 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2024

Reviews

[Emily Gutíerrez · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really really wanted to like this book (as someone from Durban myself) but I really struggled to finish this.

The first half of the book was ok, I really appreciate the representation that we don’t often see in novels. And it’s fun reading about your home in a book.

But from the start, the level of writing just wasn’t there. Lots of telling not showing. The dialogue often felt stilted and unnatural. And the pace was a bit weird in places. But I enjoyed reading about these four women.

The halfway mark is where things really went downhill for me. Every single man in this book is manipulative, including Fahim, yet he is portrayed as the good guy. Natasha is repeatedly called independent and smart in this book, so the fact that she gets so easily caught in Fahim’s web is really disappointing to read. Their marriage is terrible and then suddenly at the end it all works out and everyone is happy. It just felt like Natasha’s character was empty by the end of this book - she hates the idea of a long-term marriage and then suddenly she wants forever and babies with this guy? It just came out of nowhere.

But most annoying of all, this book is supposed to be about this group of women supporting each other. The book is literally named after their WhatsApp group. Yet, they all keep things from each other, lie and steal from each other, and when Razia leaves her abusive husband, instead of supporting her, Farhana rebukes her. Ultimately the group of friends split up because they cannot resolve the conflicts amongst themselves. Like - WHAT? WHY? What a totally unsatisfying ending. So much for women supporting women. I genuinely cannot understand why the author chose to end the book this way.

Disappointed.

[Janine Roussouw · Rating 5 out of 5]

So wonderful to discover super-talented female South African authors. Really enjoyed the book "Darlings of Durban". The book is about four close-knit friends, Natasha, Sofia, Razia and Farhana who share their joys and sorrows on their Whatsapp group called "The Darlings". Natasha is single and a successful businesswoman, Sofia is a happily married stay-at-home mom, Razia has her physiotherapy practice and she is complicatedly married to Joe, Farhana is married to Mike who is so obsessed with his chess club, that Farhana ends up making way too many sacrifices to keep her family and household afloat. Natasha is seeing Sizwe and he is hinting at marriage all the time, but she doesn't see herself doing home-cooked meals and babies yet, until one night something happens, to change her mind. Will she consider the proposal? I love how the author shows that even romantic relationships and marriages are not always moonshine and roses. The importance of friendship, honesty, transparency and trust. I also feel that the author shows that we shouldn't judge other women or other people so harshly, until we've walked in their shoes. My heart really went out to Farhana. I'm sure we all have family members like her, who will sacrifice everything for her family.

[Caroline Simonsen Losnegård · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book in a bookshop in Cape Town, and wanted to read a local author while in South Africa. Darlings of Durban is cute enough, but i felt like it misses out on its potential. The story is different, and i love The whole WhatsApp twist, but the individual stories are somehow too shallow. In the end, it felt like the author got tiered and finished the book before the story was done…

[Oluwaseyi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author presents an almost intriguing idea, though it leans toward cliché (man as saviours and marriage as the prize). Unfortunately, the character development falls short, feeling shallow and overly stereotypical. I found myself thinking, “This is why I find bad fiction exhausting.” There's potential here, but it could have been executed with more depth.

[Elzade Cloete · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story just didn't make much sense after halfway.Natasha and Fahim just didn't really sort they problems out and took a lot I liked the flirting but not them being together and Farhana just not contacting the group everything just felt disconnected there.happy that Razia got out of such a toxic relationship.I really love Sofia liked her a lot

[Fatima Mamod · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable quick read - I wish the characters had more time to develop and work through their situations.

[Basia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Undeveloped characters and simple storyline.

[Jayne Bauling · Rating 4 out of 5]

The emotional ups and downs of love and family, plus glamour, add up to a highly entertaining and engrossing read.

[Neems · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, quick read.

[Marcie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could barely complete the first page, that’s how bad it was.

[Chellyreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute quick read.