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Ruby's World My Journey With the Zulu
Karen Baldwin's masterful memoir reads like a suspense thriller as this resolute American woman of "a certain age" journeys alone to South Africa to teach Zulu children. There she encounters a stunning resistance to change from those who invited her. Baldwin's writing is candid, taut and relentless, as waves of cultural tension build to an unforeseen crisis that tests her courage and strength. -Phaedra Greenwood, Award Winning Journalist Karen Baldwin, through raw, honest, and vibrant writing, shares her journey to teach children in South Africa. Her good intentions are met by strong traditions and a real Africa-not an illusion or romanticized world-where nothing is wasted and there is little personal space. Baldwin's journey reveals the similarities in Zulu and American families' joys, pain, deception and love. -Dr. Andrea M. Heckman, PhD, Cultural Anthropologist, University of New Mexico An extraordinary story, beautifully told. Baldwin's account of her adventure in Africa is honest, moving, frequently funny, sometimes startling, and always compelling. This is a journey of faith, and it carries the reader along every twist and turn in that journey with remarkable clarity and grace. -Sean Murphy, Author, The Time of New Weather
372 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 7, 2020
An extremely naïve white American woman goes to live among the Zulus to teach English to school children. She has the best of intentions but knows nothing about anything. What could possible go wrong? Let's just say everything.
What was suppose to be a three month experience ended abruptly in just six-weeks leaving the author thoroughly perplexed, unnerved and very frightened as her host (who initially adored her) screeched to the airport, barely stopping the car and kicking Baldwin to the curb, not caring about her safety, if she could schedule a flight home and if not, the time that would take to do so.
Although the majority of reviews hail Karen as a giving, unselfish saintlike woman, it's hard to over look the fact that she had zero training, knew nothing of the culture, language and norms of this deeply rooted and highly traditional culture and thought by barreling in with school supplies and books, she could better this community. Mind you, in addition to the above, she has never taught in a classroom nor can she read or speak the Zulu language.
I believe her intentions were truly pure, but even a 10 year old boy scout will tell you that good intentions are not enough.
What was suppose to be a three month experience ended abruptly in just six-weeks leaving the author thoroughly perplexed, unnerved and very frightened as her host (who initially adored her) screeched to the airport, barely stopping the car and kicking Baldwin to the curb, not caring about her safety, if she could schedule a flight home and if not, the time that would take to do so.
Although the majority of reviews hail Karen as a giving, unselfish saintlike woman, it's hard to over look the fact that she had zero training, knew nothing of the culture, language and norms of this deeply rooted and highly traditional culture and thought by barreling in with school supplies and books, she could better this community. Mind you, in addition to the above, she has never taught in a classroom nor can she read or speak the Zulu language.
I believe her intentions were truly pure, but even a 10 year old boy scout will tell you that good intentions are not enough.
June 4, 2012
An excellent memoir about culture clash in South Africa, by an American woman who volunteered to teach in a Zulu village, without having the slightest idea what she was getting herself into... humorous, touching, and finally a suspenseful page-turner. Highly recommended!
November 21, 2012
As originally posted on Mina's Bookshelf http://minadecaro.blogspot.com/2012/1...
"My hope of making a big difference may have been naive. Not trying would have been worse."
What a terrific book! Knowing that there are people like Karen Baldwin in this world warmed my heart...reading about the incredible challenges she had to face in her attempt to bring hope and relief to the children of a small rural village in South Africa broke my heart and had me in tears...learning to which extent her life had been in danger and how close the threats were the entire time she spent in Zinti, made my blood run cold...understanding how stubbornly some cultures resist and fear change simply disheartening...having faith that some day these cultures will embrace the change and keep working toward that goal, very hard but necessary.
Sometimes the most riveting stories don't need to be pieces of pure fictional fabrication populated by imaginary characters. In 2008 Karen Baldwin, heart-attack and breast-cancer survivor, decided to leave her San Francisco life behind and spend three months in a South African rural village, teaching English at a local elementary school. Her life changing experience as the first white teacher among the Zulus started as a humanitarian dream but ended up as a nightmare, unexpectedly and at the hands of the same people who had warmly welcomed and hosted her. Only few weeks after her arrival in the rural village of Zinti, in fact, her journey came dramatically to an end, turning out to be completely different from what she had anticipated.
Karen's struggle with language barriers, her sense of dislocation and isolation, the environmental and cultural hostility, even the abominable "social practices" (infants scarification, female genital mutilation, black magic) that played in front of her candid outsider eyes, didn't prevent her from bonding with her host (Ruby) and her family:
"As a guest in their culture I'm committed to being an observer, not a critic."
But Karen felt absolutely powerless and deflated in front of the most fundamental differences between Ruby's world and the fortunate and privileged condition we get to enjoy as citizens of a western democracy: for us it's easier to bridge the gap between the way things are and the way we want them to be. In the African continent, so often considered the "womb" of the human race, thick layers of ancient traditions, cultural prejudices and discriminations set insurmountable barriers on the way to freedom and justice.
I was deeply touched by this outstanding account of Karen Baldwin's true life experience in the heart of traditional Africa. In the form of a daily journal, her well-paced and fluid narration opens a window on the ongoing tragedy of a continent torn between taboos, gender inequities, power struggles and shifting loyalties. Not only Karen's memoirs put in a new perspective our own starry-eyed views in matter of human rights and democratic society, they also teach that with bitterness and tragedy comes the powerful seed of hope.
A real jaw dropper...a work of fiction couldn't have been written with more soul and deeper emotional intensity. Thought-provoking, suspenseful, engaging at all times, this excellent book was effortlessly well-paced and executed with a captivating and vibrant writing style. Highly recommended.
"My hope of making a big difference may have been naive. Not trying would have been worse."
What a terrific book! Knowing that there are people like Karen Baldwin in this world warmed my heart...reading about the incredible challenges she had to face in her attempt to bring hope and relief to the children of a small rural village in South Africa broke my heart and had me in tears...learning to which extent her life had been in danger and how close the threats were the entire time she spent in Zinti, made my blood run cold...understanding how stubbornly some cultures resist and fear change simply disheartening...having faith that some day these cultures will embrace the change and keep working toward that goal, very hard but necessary.
Sometimes the most riveting stories don't need to be pieces of pure fictional fabrication populated by imaginary characters. In 2008 Karen Baldwin, heart-attack and breast-cancer survivor, decided to leave her San Francisco life behind and spend three months in a South African rural village, teaching English at a local elementary school. Her life changing experience as the first white teacher among the Zulus started as a humanitarian dream but ended up as a nightmare, unexpectedly and at the hands of the same people who had warmly welcomed and hosted her. Only few weeks after her arrival in the rural village of Zinti, in fact, her journey came dramatically to an end, turning out to be completely different from what she had anticipated.
Karen's struggle with language barriers, her sense of dislocation and isolation, the environmental and cultural hostility, even the abominable "social practices" (infants scarification, female genital mutilation, black magic) that played in front of her candid outsider eyes, didn't prevent her from bonding with her host (Ruby) and her family:
"As a guest in their culture I'm committed to being an observer, not a critic."
But Karen felt absolutely powerless and deflated in front of the most fundamental differences between Ruby's world and the fortunate and privileged condition we get to enjoy as citizens of a western democracy: for us it's easier to bridge the gap between the way things are and the way we want them to be. In the African continent, so often considered the "womb" of the human race, thick layers of ancient traditions, cultural prejudices and discriminations set insurmountable barriers on the way to freedom and justice.
I was deeply touched by this outstanding account of Karen Baldwin's true life experience in the heart of traditional Africa. In the form of a daily journal, her well-paced and fluid narration opens a window on the ongoing tragedy of a continent torn between taboos, gender inequities, power struggles and shifting loyalties. Not only Karen's memoirs put in a new perspective our own starry-eyed views in matter of human rights and democratic society, they also teach that with bitterness and tragedy comes the powerful seed of hope.
A real jaw dropper...a work of fiction couldn't have been written with more soul and deeper emotional intensity. Thought-provoking, suspenseful, engaging at all times, this excellent book was effortlessly well-paced and executed with a captivating and vibrant writing style. Highly recommended.
October 24, 2019
There are spoilers in my review. The author's experience in South Africa was so different than my own. She was there in 2008 for a couple months. I was there for two years from 2012 to 2014. I can't believe that South Africa could have changed so much after just 4 years. The fact that she actually feared for her life and was threatened to be killed astounded me. I would expect that in certain other African countries but not South Africa, the most modern country on the continent, at least from what I've been told. I worked primarily with Zulu people as well, though not in the same province as her and perhaps not so rural of an area. Perhaps there truly were, and maybe still are, places like that in South Africa, but I just wasn't exposed to it. As a teacher, I wish I could have given the author teaching tips. She seemed to have just jumped in not knowing what she was doing. I could relate to a lot of her experiences, though, and it brought back many memories from my time in South Africa. Definitely worth the read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2018
Cultural Clashes
In Ruby’s World the reader is introduced to the Zulu culture through the author’s emotional experience to a world very different than her own. Unprepared for teaching, uneducated to the culture of the Zulu people, the author blunders through several weeks of good faith attempts to teach English to rural children. The contrasts with her expectations and reality create an interesting tension throughout the book and makes for an interesting read.
In Ruby’s World the reader is introduced to the Zulu culture through the author’s emotional experience to a world very different than her own. Unprepared for teaching, uneducated to the culture of the Zulu people, the author blunders through several weeks of good faith attempts to teach English to rural children. The contrasts with her expectations and reality create an interesting tension throughout the book and makes for an interesting read.
May 31, 2020
Such an amazing journey. One of those books you can't put down. You can really feel her emotions in her writing. I am not a huge reader and am so glad I read this book. I highly recommend!
February 3, 2021
The unexpected ending threw me for a loop. The author, Karen, went to South Africa to teach in a rural Zulu school and ended up being the one who learned the most along the way.
August 17, 2025
Beautiful and touching, it really takes you into that world
November 8, 2012
This is a true story – a memoir that reads like a suspense novel. Author Karen Baldwin, it tells her story of how at 52, after surviving a heart attack and breast cancer, she decided to abandon her career in civil engineering in favor of a spiritual calling. She became a hospital chaplain, and then followed a dream and a spiritual calling to become the first white teacher in a rural Zulu elementary school.
She arrives in South Africa alone, her bags stuffed with books and art supplies for the children she will be teaching. At first her African hosts seemed eager to have her there, helping them to pursue their dreams of providing their “learners” with training in the English language.
But it soon becomes clear that the Zulu’s desire for westernization is often at odds with their life-long cultural practices. She finds the children eager to learn and their teachers anxious to step into the present day, despite the fact that their lives are still governed by strong tribal traditions, including infant scarification, female genital mutilation and the rulings of the witch doctors.
She also learns that in South Africa, there is still an imbalance of power between the sexes. Unless a woman is married, she has no rights to property, a job or freedom. And even if she is married, she is still subservient to her husband.
Travel with Karen to Pietermaritzburg, South Africa with Karen and get to know the students and teachers at Zinti Primary, including Ruby Ndlela, at whose home she stays, and school principal, Phyllis Zondi. This is a trip you will not soon forget.
I won’t tell you too much of the story, you need to experience it for yourself. But suffice it to say that less than two months after a huge welcome, Karen’s survival is threatened and she finds herself afraid for her life, trapped in a concrete room on a locked compound, until she can make her escape.
The book is well-written, and the story is true though all the names have been changed. Once you start reading, you may not be able to put it down. Karen Baldwin says this was an experience that changed her life. And reading it just may change yours.
She arrives in South Africa alone, her bags stuffed with books and art supplies for the children she will be teaching. At first her African hosts seemed eager to have her there, helping them to pursue their dreams of providing their “learners” with training in the English language.
But it soon becomes clear that the Zulu’s desire for westernization is often at odds with their life-long cultural practices. She finds the children eager to learn and their teachers anxious to step into the present day, despite the fact that their lives are still governed by strong tribal traditions, including infant scarification, female genital mutilation and the rulings of the witch doctors.
She also learns that in South Africa, there is still an imbalance of power between the sexes. Unless a woman is married, she has no rights to property, a job or freedom. And even if she is married, she is still subservient to her husband.
Travel with Karen to Pietermaritzburg, South Africa with Karen and get to know the students and teachers at Zinti Primary, including Ruby Ndlela, at whose home she stays, and school principal, Phyllis Zondi. This is a trip you will not soon forget.
I won’t tell you too much of the story, you need to experience it for yourself. But suffice it to say that less than two months after a huge welcome, Karen’s survival is threatened and she finds herself afraid for her life, trapped in a concrete room on a locked compound, until she can make her escape.
The book is well-written, and the story is true though all the names have been changed. Once you start reading, you may not be able to put it down. Karen Baldwin says this was an experience that changed her life. And reading it just may change yours.
November 12, 2012
What an amazing story! Karen Baldwin left the comfort of her life in America to be a teacher for a rural school in Africa. The things that she witnessed while there were funny, heartwarming, heartbreaking and appalling. There was a clash between the modern world and the traditional customs of the Zulu people as people who carried cell phones and visited Internet cafes and malls also believed in witch doctors and spirits.
Her relationships with the children, some of the staff at the school and Ruby's nephew, Thulani, were ones that I know she will cherish forever. I've never met them, but they touched my heart through her words. I know those kids will cherish her as long as they live as well.
It was hard to stomach some of the things that she witnessed. The physical scars due to mutilation of infants in the name of tradition, children whose only meal is the one that they receive at school, the death of a young child who had been hit by a car. There were things that she saw that were things we deal here with America, but others that you would never dream would happen.
Some of the stuff in this book is just hard to believe as our lives here in America are very different from theirs. But, at the same time, there were so many similarities. There were times I was on the edge of my seat, figuratively speaking, eager to find out what happened next. I smiled; I laughed; I was teary-eyed; and I felt outrage. I really think that you should read this book to share in Karen's experience. You won't regret it!
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own and may differ from yours. This book tour is brought to you by Charisma Media.
Her relationships with the children, some of the staff at the school and Ruby's nephew, Thulani, were ones that I know she will cherish forever. I've never met them, but they touched my heart through her words. I know those kids will cherish her as long as they live as well.
It was hard to stomach some of the things that she witnessed. The physical scars due to mutilation of infants in the name of tradition, children whose only meal is the one that they receive at school, the death of a young child who had been hit by a car. There were things that she saw that were things we deal here with America, but others that you would never dream would happen.
Some of the stuff in this book is just hard to believe as our lives here in America are very different from theirs. But, at the same time, there were so many similarities. There were times I was on the edge of my seat, figuratively speaking, eager to find out what happened next. I smiled; I laughed; I was teary-eyed; and I felt outrage. I really think that you should read this book to share in Karen's experience. You won't regret it!
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own and may differ from yours. This book tour is brought to you by Charisma Media.
November 8, 2012
What can you say about a memoir that touches you so deeply that you can't stop thinking about it? Such is this memoir by Karen Baldwin. Before reading this book, I knew very little about modern-day South Africa. I used to work with a teacher who came out of the apartheid, but of course, that is all in the past, right? I invite you to read the book to find out!
Kudos to the author for capturing the Zulu people and their culture so well. I kept saying that she had to take copious notes in order to share so much detail. I have been on a missions trip to the country of Yemen, but I was in a "Western compound" so culture shock was no big deal. I was horrified and mesmerized as I read this book that is raw with emotion and real life.
I will warn you. There are adult topics and some profanity (but not much). There are religious issues that will probably shock you and may even offend you. But you cannot get away from this fact--it is real. If you want to know how things really are in South Africa (or at least how they were back in 2008--I honestly doubt it has changed much)from an outsider's eyewitness viewpoint, this is the book for you.
As another side note, I have to say that reading this book when I did was perfect timing. I completed it the day after the 2012 presidential election was decided. I can't tell you how often I found myself so grateful to be an American. We may not have a perfect country, but we have worked on our democracy for over 200 years, and I wouldn't wish to build my life anywhere else!
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated in any way, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
Kudos to the author for capturing the Zulu people and their culture so well. I kept saying that she had to take copious notes in order to share so much detail. I have been on a missions trip to the country of Yemen, but I was in a "Western compound" so culture shock was no big deal. I was horrified and mesmerized as I read this book that is raw with emotion and real life.
I will warn you. There are adult topics and some profanity (but not much). There are religious issues that will probably shock you and may even offend you. But you cannot get away from this fact--it is real. If you want to know how things really are in South Africa (or at least how they were back in 2008--I honestly doubt it has changed much)from an outsider's eyewitness viewpoint, this is the book for you.
As another side note, I have to say that reading this book when I did was perfect timing. I completed it the day after the 2012 presidential election was decided. I can't tell you how often I found myself so grateful to be an American. We may not have a perfect country, but we have worked on our democracy for over 200 years, and I wouldn't wish to build my life anywhere else!
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated in any way, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
August 21, 2014
I couldn't put Ruby's World down. Written in first person, present tense, the reader is "on the ground" with Karen Baldwin, experiencing events and feelings as she experiences them. Even though I was somewhat familiar with the story before reading the book, I still was caught up in the shifting realities as the adventure unfolded. The book is beautifully descriptive, tightly written, and honest. The reader shares Baldwin's compassion, shock, repulsion, disbelief, and appreciation as she peels back the surface layers to get to the real heart, soul, and realities of an African people. Highly recommended for anyone considering going on such a journey, wanting to "do something" about what we in the West perceive as inequities, or willing to dispel some of the illusions we hold dear.Ruby's World My Journey With the Zulu
April 12, 2013
When I first started this book I loved it. I couldn't put it down. What an adventure!! But the ending is sooo frustrating. Why would anyone think for a minute they could change hundreds of years of traditions in a few months! Especially traditions that are as horrendous as those that the author described. I totally get that her experience was life changing but to think she could change a culture so rich in tradition is just laughable. Then she asks that we don't judge! REALLY?????
I would like to say in her support, kudos for going to another country like Aftrica all by herself. I understand her wanting to help kids that are under-nurished and in poverty, but you don't have to go to the other side of the world for that. There are way too many kids in our own country that need food in their bellies, a place to live & an education.
I would like to say in her support, kudos for going to another country like Aftrica all by herself. I understand her wanting to help kids that are under-nurished and in poverty, but you don't have to go to the other side of the world for that. There are way too many kids in our own country that need food in their bellies, a place to live & an education.
November 2, 2012
Karen Baldwin has written a wonderful memoir of her trip to South Africa. I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to review this remarkable story and not just enjoy it, but also glean so much knowledge about the cultural differences. I had the opportunity to experience something I'd most likely never have gotten to otherwise even glimpse at. You felt everything Karen went through, as her heart broke for the way the Zulu culture treated their women, I felt her pain and ached as well. I can't say enough about this book, Ms. Baldwin you are a very talented writer, words cannot express how blessed I feel having been given a glimpse into your life. May God continue to bless you!
April 25, 2015
I was privileged to get an 1st edition autographed copy of Ruby's World:My Journey With the Zulu from the author when her book was first released, and since I couldn't WAIT to receive the hardcopy, I also got the kindle version via Amazon.com, so I could leave a review. Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R26W7...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R26W7...
March 25, 2019
Having lived in South Africa and being reasonably familiar with Zulu ways and traditions, I really enjoyed reading how the author was surprised by some of the things she encountered. However, I was totally unprepared for the ending!! I recommend this book to anyone interested in other cultures. It was a page turner for me but I cannot say it was a “feel good” story.
June 30, 2012
I appreciated this book for the insight on the Zulu culture. I am totally in love with Africa (after a recent visit there) and half of my books lately are books about Africa. So this was great. But I hated the ending because it was just bad. I'm not going to go there.
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