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Black Dog Summer
In this extraordinary debut novel reminiscent of The Lovely Bones and Little Bee, a mother watches from the afterlife as her teenage daughter recovers amidst the startling dysfunction of her extended family.
A small, bright thread of a story weaves out from the moment of my passing and seems to tether me to this place. Perhaps this is why I have not left yet. Perhaps I have no choice but to follow the story to its end.
Compulsively readable and stylistically stunning, Black Dog Summer begins with a murder, a farmstead massacre, in the South African bush. Thirty-eight-year-old Sally is but one of the victims. Her life brutally cut short, she narrates from her vantage point in the afterlife and watches as her sister, Adele, her brother-in-law and unrequited love Liam, her niece Bryony, and her teenage daughter, Gigi, begin to make sense of the tragedy.
A suspenseful drama focusing on marriage and fidelity, sisterhood, and the fractious bond between mothers and daughters, Black Dog Summer asks: In the wake of tragedy, where does all that dark energy linger? The youngest characters, Bryony and Gigi, cousins who are now brought together after Sally’s murder, are forced into sharing a bedroom. Bryony becomes confused and frightened by the violent energy stirred up and awakened by the massacre, while Gigi is unable to see beyond her deep grief and guilt. But they are not the only ones aware of the lurking darkness. Next door lives Lesedi, a reluctant witchdoctor who hides her mystical connection with the dead behind the façade of their affluent Johannesburg suburb.
As Gigi finally begins to emerge from her grief, the fragile healing process is derailed when she receives some shattering news, and in a mistaken effort to protect her cousin, puts Bryony’s life in imminent danger. Now Sally must find a way to prevent her daughter from making a mistake that could destroy the lives of all who are left behind.
Gorgeously written, with a pace that will leave readers breathless, Black Dog Summer introduces a brilliant new voice in fiction.
A small, bright thread of a story weaves out from the moment of my passing and seems to tether me to this place. Perhaps this is why I have not left yet. Perhaps I have no choice but to follow the story to its end.
Compulsively readable and stylistically stunning, Black Dog Summer begins with a murder, a farmstead massacre, in the South African bush. Thirty-eight-year-old Sally is but one of the victims. Her life brutally cut short, she narrates from her vantage point in the afterlife and watches as her sister, Adele, her brother-in-law and unrequited love Liam, her niece Bryony, and her teenage daughter, Gigi, begin to make sense of the tragedy.
A suspenseful drama focusing on marriage and fidelity, sisterhood, and the fractious bond between mothers and daughters, Black Dog Summer asks: In the wake of tragedy, where does all that dark energy linger? The youngest characters, Bryony and Gigi, cousins who are now brought together after Sally’s murder, are forced into sharing a bedroom. Bryony becomes confused and frightened by the violent energy stirred up and awakened by the massacre, while Gigi is unable to see beyond her deep grief and guilt. But they are not the only ones aware of the lurking darkness. Next door lives Lesedi, a reluctant witchdoctor who hides her mystical connection with the dead behind the façade of their affluent Johannesburg suburb.
As Gigi finally begins to emerge from her grief, the fragile healing process is derailed when she receives some shattering news, and in a mistaken effort to protect her cousin, puts Bryony’s life in imminent danger. Now Sally must find a way to prevent her daughter from making a mistake that could destroy the lives of all who are left behind.
Gorgeously written, with a pace that will leave readers breathless, Black Dog Summer introduces a brilliant new voice in fiction.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2014
23 people are currently reading
1809 people want to read
About the author
Miranda Sherry
8 books24 followersMiranda Sherry grew up in Johannesburg in a house full of books, and began writing stories at the age of seven. A few decades, and a variety of jobs - from puppeteer to bartender, and musician - later, she is now a full time writer. She continues to live in Johannesburg, with the love of her life, and her two weird cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
February 16, 2015
3.5 I was not a big lover of Lovely Bones, and this book too is narrated by the recent dead, but for some reason I liked this one. I, know the atmosphere had much to do with this, it was melancholy and psychological but not without hope. The location too played into it, South Africa post apartheid when there was so much killing of the farmers in the remoter regions of the country, in this case it was killing on a farm that tried to conserve and save the animals of this region. The culture too I found fascinating, the mix between the beliefs of the past and those of the present.
Family relationships, the competition between sisters and some good characters that we learn much from in backstories. Lesedi, a sangoma, who throws bones and reads them in able to help her client. Gigi, a young girl who watched the murder of her mother and is now trying to adjust. But sometimes what one experiences comes back to haunt with terrifying consequences. Bryon, a young girl who will prove to be much wiser than her age.
Although this is narrated by Sally, now dead, she follows and grabs on to stories and memory lines. Very interesting concept, and one that worked for me, very well.
Family relationships, the competition between sisters and some good characters that we learn much from in backstories. Lesedi, a sangoma, who throws bones and reads them in able to help her client. Gigi, a young girl who watched the murder of her mother and is now trying to adjust. But sometimes what one experiences comes back to haunt with terrifying consequences. Bryon, a young girl who will prove to be much wiser than her age.
Although this is narrated by Sally, now dead, she follows and grabs on to stories and memory lines. Very interesting concept, and one that worked for me, very well.
February 18, 2015
Its an interesting story for sure, I haven't read many stories taking place in south africa. It kept my attention all the way through.
That being said, I feel like the black characters are poorly written. The story seemed to rely on Black Africans being magic. Especially when the Jewish characters' religious rituals are seen as hollow once Byrony sees 'real magic.' It felt like maybe it crossed into trope territory Spike Lee talks about: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_....
That being said, I feel like the black characters are poorly written. The story seemed to rely on Black Africans being magic. Especially when the Jewish characters' religious rituals are seen as hollow once Byrony sees 'real magic.' It felt like maybe it crossed into trope territory Spike Lee talks about: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_....
January 8, 2015
I can't believe everyone is giving this five stars. I struggled to continue with this book to the end. Lovely Bones anyone? Stereotypical black characters anyone (witch doctor, maid, murdering thugs)?
November 24, 2016
I must confess that I picked this book up more than once in the bookshop over a couple of months. I was curious, but... I was not really optimistic. Needless to say, I was pleasantly impressed.
Black Dog Summer does a very good job of showing South Africa as it is today. The integration (yay! things are improving!), and the horrific acts of violence and the effects it has(but some shit never changes). For that alone it was really interesting. One of my concerns when picking this up, was that the violence would be explicit. It wasn't. Well, at least not in the way that I feared it might.
There was one passage where I absolutely adored the language, when Gigi went to school on the her first day, and compared all the girls to gazelles. I really thought it was a beautiful metaphor, and showed not only the way the girls flicked their hair and carried themselves, but also showed a deep love of animals. In some way, I felt it really captured South Africa.
I liked how she did the characters too. The adults and the two girls really came across as well-fleshed out characters. I felt for them, was concerned for them, or disliked them (as was intended). I could really talk a lot about these characters, but I will leave that for you to discover all on your own, without my interference.
Black Dog Summer does a very good job of showing South Africa as it is today. The integration (yay! things are improving!), and the horrific acts of violence and the effects it has(but some shit never changes). For that alone it was really interesting. One of my concerns when picking this up, was that the violence would be explicit. It wasn't. Well, at least not in the way that I feared it might.
There was one passage where I absolutely adored the language, when Gigi went to school on the her first day, and compared all the girls to gazelles. I really thought it was a beautiful metaphor, and showed not only the way the girls flicked their hair and carried themselves, but also showed a deep love of animals. In some way, I felt it really captured South Africa.
I liked how she did the characters too. The adults and the two girls really came across as well-fleshed out characters. I felt for them, was concerned for them, or disliked them (as was intended). I could really talk a lot about these characters, but I will leave that for you to discover all on your own, without my interference.
March 26, 2022
2 stars
This was 2 stars throughout - it had the potential to be a great read, with lovely prose, but nothing happened, it was told through flashbacks and was just generally boring - before what should have been a great ending that redeemed it a bit. And yes, the ending was decidedly more interesting than the rest of the story. However, the racism that had been present as an undercurrent throughout the story (othering of the few Black characters, the characterisation of a white woman as being the wind and grass of Africa, and then there's the issue that there were only one or two important Black characters in a story set in Johannesburg and other parts of South Africa? I mean I'm not really feeling the realism here but carry on) became blatantly obvious. The story was based around a farm murder, which I don't know anything about as a concept, but the murderers were identified by the fact they were 'black men' about fifty different times, and their skin tone was described as being like a dirty river or something? Yeah. It was the 'violent Black man' stereotype on steroids and it was awful and I thought it was going to get addressed but it just didn't and it felt like it was excused and,,, would definitely not recommend: the plot is boring and the storyline has some very racist undertones (and sometimes even overtones!)
This was 2 stars throughout - it had the potential to be a great read, with lovely prose, but nothing happened, it was told through flashbacks and was just generally boring - before what should have been a great ending that redeemed it a bit. And yes, the ending was decidedly more interesting than the rest of the story. However, the racism that had been present as an undercurrent throughout the story (othering of the few Black characters, the characterisation of a white woman as being the wind and grass of Africa, and then there's the issue that there were only one or two important Black characters in a story set in Johannesburg and other parts of South Africa? I mean I'm not really feeling the realism here but carry on) became blatantly obvious. The story was based around a farm murder, which I don't know anything about as a concept, but the murderers were identified by the fact they were 'black men' about fifty different times, and their skin tone was described as being like a dirty river or something? Yeah. It was the 'violent Black man' stereotype on steroids and it was awful and I thought it was going to get addressed but it just didn't and it felt like it was excused and,,, would definitely not recommend: the plot is boring and the storyline has some very racist undertones (and sometimes even overtones!)
February 1, 2016
If an author is going to weave a tale involving a dead person watching the lives of the living and have it not seem like some kind of tired ghost story, she's got to write so well that the reader is willing to buy into the premise. Miranda Sherry succeeded, in my opinion. Her writing is evocative and lovely, and the story flows easily. I read the book in two sittings, compelled to learn the outcome of the unidentified trouble foreshadowed. Criticisms regarding the roles of the black characters may have some foundation, but the story is set in South Africa; the author lives in South Africa; if the characters she created represent at least one reality in that country, I am not going to call her out for not presenting a more encouraging, progressive role for those characters. Despite a few 'cheats' where people either act out of character or something happens that is at odds with the story up to that point, I did enjoy the book. I liked the concept that the deceased character could not be released to, well, just be dead, until certain loose ends were tied up. It's an idea explored in other books, but I do like the treatment Sherry gives it.
January 3, 2015
I received an ARC of this book from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
I absolutely devoured this book. It's an uncomfortable subject matter and I had a knot in the pit of my stomach the whole time I was reading it but I just couldn't put it down. In fact, I just finished it at 3 am.
I loved the setting in South Africa, and the details of the way the plants and animals and even the sky look and feel there.
The writing is beautiful and full of metaphors that actually flow instead of feeling contrived. The characters feel very real, even the dead ones. I wanted to hug some of them (unrequited love gets me every time!)
This is not exactly a happy book or a pleasant read but it is an engrossing, fascinating, compulsively readable story. Pick it up when it's released next month.
I absolutely devoured this book. It's an uncomfortable subject matter and I had a knot in the pit of my stomach the whole time I was reading it but I just couldn't put it down. In fact, I just finished it at 3 am.
I loved the setting in South Africa, and the details of the way the plants and animals and even the sky look and feel there.
The writing is beautiful and full of metaphors that actually flow instead of feeling contrived. The characters feel very real, even the dead ones. I wanted to hug some of them (unrequited love gets me every time!)
This is not exactly a happy book or a pleasant read but it is an engrossing, fascinating, compulsively readable story. Pick it up when it's released next month.
February 14, 2015
engaging plot with moments of lovely lyric prose, but ultimately it gives in to its more trite instincts - and a rather disturbing undercurrent of racism, both the Other=Evil and Other=Exotic strains. entertaining light reading, but overall a disappointment.
July 15, 2017
Pros: interesting characters, beautiful writing, heartwrenching story
Cons: will make you cry - a lot
When Sally, aka Monkey, was killed on the animal rescue farm where she was living with her daughter, she expected that to be the end of her story. But the ongoing stories of her estranged sister, curious niece, brother-in-law she was in love with, and catatonic daughter, prevent her from leaving.
Set in South Africa, the book has some speculative elements (the spirit watching over its family and the Sangoma that lives next door), but is essentially a story about family and dealing with loss. Sally’s spirit follows several characters, allowing you to really get to know them. The family dynamics become more clear as time goes on, and you see how mistakes of the past compound and form emotional trials in the present. It’s also highly effective that a lot of the story is told from the perspective of the 11 year old niece, who doesn’t know what the word ‘genocide’ means and has to look it up on her brother’s computer and whose curiosity and nosiness subsequently gains her knowledge she’s not ready for.
The writing is beautifully descriptive, with a lot of sensory information telling you how things look, smell and feel. The metaphors used are unique, but work within the context of the story. For example, “The morning sun beats through the muslin blinds of the bedroom window, making the room look as if it’s been pumped full of golden gas”.
The ending, where you finally learn the extent of what happened at the farm when Sally dies, is gut-wrenching, but don’t think that’s the only sad part of the book. Books have made me cry in the past - for a chapter or two, when a character I loved died or something else irrevocably sad happened to them, but I haven’t cried this hard in years. From the first few pages this book grabbed my heart strings and then kept pulling them over and over again.
I loved the portrayal of the Sangoma and how her story was resolved. I’m less sure about the massacre and the ‘black men are coming with machetes’ message of the main story. I don’t know enough about South Africa to know if this is still a modern fear or if the book plays on a remembrance of apartheid (which, though it feels like it happened a long time ago really didn’t). But the book was written by a South African woman.
I loved this book. I loved the descriptive language. I loved the characters. I loved the setting. If you’re looking for something different, give this a try.
Cons: will make you cry - a lot
When Sally, aka Monkey, was killed on the animal rescue farm where she was living with her daughter, she expected that to be the end of her story. But the ongoing stories of her estranged sister, curious niece, brother-in-law she was in love with, and catatonic daughter, prevent her from leaving.
Set in South Africa, the book has some speculative elements (the spirit watching over its family and the Sangoma that lives next door), but is essentially a story about family and dealing with loss. Sally’s spirit follows several characters, allowing you to really get to know them. The family dynamics become more clear as time goes on, and you see how mistakes of the past compound and form emotional trials in the present. It’s also highly effective that a lot of the story is told from the perspective of the 11 year old niece, who doesn’t know what the word ‘genocide’ means and has to look it up on her brother’s computer and whose curiosity and nosiness subsequently gains her knowledge she’s not ready for.
The writing is beautifully descriptive, with a lot of sensory information telling you how things look, smell and feel. The metaphors used are unique, but work within the context of the story. For example, “The morning sun beats through the muslin blinds of the bedroom window, making the room look as if it’s been pumped full of golden gas”.
The ending, where you finally learn the extent of what happened at the farm when Sally dies, is gut-wrenching, but don’t think that’s the only sad part of the book. Books have made me cry in the past - for a chapter or two, when a character I loved died or something else irrevocably sad happened to them, but I haven’t cried this hard in years. From the first few pages this book grabbed my heart strings and then kept pulling them over and over again.
I loved the portrayal of the Sangoma and how her story was resolved. I’m less sure about the massacre and the ‘black men are coming with machetes’ message of the main story. I don’t know enough about South Africa to know if this is still a modern fear or if the book plays on a remembrance of apartheid (which, though it feels like it happened a long time ago really didn’t). But the book was written by a South African woman.
I loved this book. I loved the descriptive language. I loved the characters. I loved the setting. If you’re looking for something different, give this a try.
January 14, 2023
Really interesting and also covers ideas about a culture and area that i don’t really know too much about. I liked how the story could be told from so many perspectives and how the pages flicked between the different characters point of view’s something i have not seen too much before in books in this way.
I also liked how it covers all of the stages of grief from all of the people involved and never alienates them or makes them the bad guy despite what they going through.
I also liked how it covers all of the stages of grief from all of the people involved and never alienates them or makes them the bad guy despite what they going through.
December 20, 2019
I liked the characters — they were more well-rounded than I’d expected them to be and made choices that were surprising but still believable. I also thought the story was interesting, but there were just so many typos and grammatical errors that I could not ignore.
August 15, 2024
Was good and many things happened that I didn’t expect would like to know more about the girls, some parts got confusing due to it being heavy narrated by recent dead
June 3, 2014
“A vision of a black dog is a warning sign…but seeing the black dog in the clouds? That forecasts murder”.
Sally was living the perfect life on a South African farmstead with her daughter Gigi but one tragic afternoon that all changed when Sally was brutally attacked and murdered. Gigi is taken in by her Aunt’s family but Sally cannot rest in peace she watches her daughter adapt to life with her new family. The murder of Sally stirs up long forgotten and deeply buried family secrets.
Sally cannot die and from heaven she watches over Gigi as she starts a new and very different life. Through Sally’s eyes we watch Gigi settle into her new family, watch on as Gigi’s cousin Bryony develops an obsession with African Black Magic. Can Sally stop tragic mistakes being made by those left behind before lives are destroyed forever?
I enjoyed this book so much I didn’t want to put it down – the pace of the book kept me gripped from beginning to end. I just loved the strong characters of Gigi and Sally and how the author bought alive the South African landscape. A highly recommended book for all fiction lovers.
Sally was living the perfect life on a South African farmstead with her daughter Gigi but one tragic afternoon that all changed when Sally was brutally attacked and murdered. Gigi is taken in by her Aunt’s family but Sally cannot rest in peace she watches her daughter adapt to life with her new family. The murder of Sally stirs up long forgotten and deeply buried family secrets.
Sally cannot die and from heaven she watches over Gigi as she starts a new and very different life. Through Sally’s eyes we watch Gigi settle into her new family, watch on as Gigi’s cousin Bryony develops an obsession with African Black Magic. Can Sally stop tragic mistakes being made by those left behind before lives are destroyed forever?
I enjoyed this book so much I didn’t want to put it down – the pace of the book kept me gripped from beginning to end. I just loved the strong characters of Gigi and Sally and how the author bought alive the South African landscape. A highly recommended book for all fiction lovers.
May 5, 2018
One day Sally a mother was living in her idyllic home then next minute she was shot dead.
Gigi her daughter survived because she was not at home.
I really did feel for Gigi, I wanted to wrap my arms around Gigi and give her some kind of support and comfort.
After Gigi's mother had been murdered Gigi was so traumatized that she was put under sedation in hospital.
With no where for Gigi to go Adele has Gigi come to stay with her family.
A new twist in the story begins as Gigis cousin Bryony develops an obsession with African black magic, and events take a darker turn.
I loved reading Black Dog Summer. I recommend it!. I hope all readers enjoy the story as much I have.
Gigi her daughter survived because she was not at home.
I really did feel for Gigi, I wanted to wrap my arms around Gigi and give her some kind of support and comfort.
After Gigi's mother had been murdered Gigi was so traumatized that she was put under sedation in hospital.
With no where for Gigi to go Adele has Gigi come to stay with her family.
A new twist in the story begins as Gigis cousin Bryony develops an obsession with African black magic, and events take a darker turn.
I loved reading Black Dog Summer. I recommend it!. I hope all readers enjoy the story as much I have.
April 4, 2015
Sometimes I think listening to audio books are a disservice to my reading comprehension. I enjoyed the reader's voice but in the midst of crazy Denver traffic, I felt like there were parts of this book that totally went over my head. I had times where I was like, 'Wait, what just happened? I am so confused.' And yet the 100 pages or so of the book that I actually read, I could tell that this was a very well written book.
June 19, 2019
The premise of this book was great and I loved the way it was told from the point of the view of the ghost and how it talked about and described story threads.
HOWEVER the way it talked about black people and the practices of magic/that culture was highly problematic. You can definitely tell it was written by a colonizer, and it’s tinged with racism
HOWEVER the way it talked about black people and the practices of magic/that culture was highly problematic. You can definitely tell it was written by a colonizer, and it’s tinged with racism
January 2, 2015
I won this book from the Goodreads giveaway.
It is a haunting tale. This book stays with the reader long after the it been placed back on the shelf. I read Black Dog Summer in one sitting. This is a wonderful debut novel.
It is a haunting tale. This book stays with the reader long after the it been placed back on the shelf. I read Black Dog Summer in one sitting. This is a wonderful debut novel.
May 3, 2015
What a great book! I really enjoyed reading this book and it was hard to put down. I am looking forward to the next book from Miranda Sherry.
July 4, 2018
This book was an interesting read - I found it compelling that the narrative was from the point of view of a dead character, but this also left me feeling that perhaps more information about her death was coming - who were the men? Was this an isolated event? Why did they target Sally and the farm - was it literally because a padlock was left open and they brutally murder everyone they find behind an un-padlocked gate? I felt a little sense of disappointment when this wasn’t really explored.
I felt that there were a few other little aspects of the story that could have been explored a little more and left me asking questions, which made the ending feel a bit abrupt.
I also have to agree with some other readers that some of the stereotypes of black people are inappropriate, since all the black characters seem to be witches, housekeepers or machete-wielding murderers.
With that in mind, the imagery that the writer creates is absolutely beautiful. I’ve never actually read a story set in Johannesburg but I felt with the vivid descriptions I was really there with the characters and feeling what they felt.
The characters were all relatable in their own different ways which kept me wanting to hang on to their story threads. Somehow I also found them all very likeable, especially towards the end of the story when we see more of the power of family.
It felt as though the writer was taking her time with the story, which kept me wanting to read more and have my questions answered. Every time I put the book down I wanted to pick it up again and find out more.
I have never read a book like it, and I enjoyed how special it felt to have a narrator who could dive into other little stories to create a full, vivid picture of Sally and the lives of those she followed.
I felt that there were a few other little aspects of the story that could have been explored a little more and left me asking questions, which made the ending feel a bit abrupt.
I also have to agree with some other readers that some of the stereotypes of black people are inappropriate, since all the black characters seem to be witches, housekeepers or machete-wielding murderers.
With that in mind, the imagery that the writer creates is absolutely beautiful. I’ve never actually read a story set in Johannesburg but I felt with the vivid descriptions I was really there with the characters and feeling what they felt.
The characters were all relatable in their own different ways which kept me wanting to hang on to their story threads. Somehow I also found them all very likeable, especially towards the end of the story when we see more of the power of family.
It felt as though the writer was taking her time with the story, which kept me wanting to read more and have my questions answered. Every time I put the book down I wanted to pick it up again and find out more.
I have never read a book like it, and I enjoyed how special it felt to have a narrator who could dive into other little stories to create a full, vivid picture of Sally and the lives of those she followed.
August 4, 2021
A quick and engrossing read which only took me one rainy day to get through. However, between the weirdly racist undertones (or rather, OVERtones), and gruesomely descriptive gore, the book could never achieve higher than the two stars. Way too many themes going on, way too much heavy material, and way too many racist remarks left unfleshed out. At one point, one of the girls actually asks another if she's "racist or something" as she seems to flinch around the people they pass by in the mall. Before this comment, I was wondering if the apartheid would be worked through at all given the book is set in South Africa, but by the end, it became apparent that the author has some of her own insane biases to work through which have manifested into a seriously weirdly gruesome tale.
Very relaxed summary - Gigi was raised on an animal sanctuary by her single mother. One day, a group of men came in and murdered everyone on the sanctuary... except for Gigi, who we later found out actually watched the whole thing happen. Gigi is sent to go live with her aunt and uncle and their two children. Her aunt and her mother had a huge falling out after it was revealed her mother was actually in love with Liam, her uncle, before he even started to date the aunt. In the end, Gigi ends up having somewhat of a psychotic break, thinking the "black man" was going to come for her and Bryony (cousin), ultimately nearly strangling Bryony to death. If it weren't for the spirit of her mother coming through to tell her not to kill her cousin, the kid would have died. Yeah, it was a lot.
Very relaxed summary - Gigi was raised on an animal sanctuary by her single mother. One day, a group of men came in and murdered everyone on the sanctuary... except for Gigi, who we later found out actually watched the whole thing happen. Gigi is sent to go live with her aunt and uncle and their two children. Her aunt and her mother had a huge falling out after it was revealed her mother was actually in love with Liam, her uncle, before he even started to date the aunt. In the end, Gigi ends up having somewhat of a psychotic break, thinking the "black man" was going to come for her and Bryony (cousin), ultimately nearly strangling Bryony to death. If it weren't for the spirit of her mother coming through to tell her not to kill her cousin, the kid would have died. Yeah, it was a lot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2023
Is there a bigger gift than having no expectations of a book and then be utterly surprised and touched by it? I loved so many things about this book.
I loved that it showed the many faces of South Africa without trying to whitewash or preach. Not only the brutality of the few, but the gentleness of the many. As a South African myself, everything about the book felt real. The people, the landscape, the dialog.
I loved that it showed a belief system different to my own with such clarity. After reading this book, I can feel the beauty of African beliefs in ancestors.
I loved the effortless switching between the different point-of-views in a way only a very skilled writer could.
Lastly, I loved the way it showed the tenacity of the human spirit, dead or alive.
I read the only other book by this author Bone Meal for Roses many years ago. I did not realise this book is by the same author, but I thoroughly enjoyed that too. I hope there will be more books to come.
I loved that it showed the many faces of South Africa without trying to whitewash or preach. Not only the brutality of the few, but the gentleness of the many. As a South African myself, everything about the book felt real. The people, the landscape, the dialog.
I loved that it showed a belief system different to my own with such clarity. After reading this book, I can feel the beauty of African beliefs in ancestors.
I loved the effortless switching between the different point-of-views in a way only a very skilled writer could.
Lastly, I loved the way it showed the tenacity of the human spirit, dead or alive.
I read the only other book by this author Bone Meal for Roses many years ago. I did not realise this book is by the same author, but I thoroughly enjoyed that too. I hope there will be more books to come.
September 19, 2021
Black Dog Summer by Miranda Sherry is such a bizarre book I can’t believe the ratings are so high it started out with such a promising beginning I was hooked from the first page alone reminding me of a African version of Lovely Bones. Apart from Sally I found none of the characters relatable as none of them shone in the book finding them all rather bland and selfish all stuck in their own world. Only the mental break down scenes added a raw feel to the story which makes you worried about the effects of the modern apartheid movement hidden in the book message.
Some of the cultural references to region was out of place mostly as Black Dog Summer is a reference to the deaths caused by racism in parts of Africa it seemed predictable to focus on the witch doctor later on in the plot as people sometimes refer Africa to witch doctors and Black magic none of it was needed so much in the storyline. I would not really recommend Black Dog Summer to a friend unless someone picks up the book in passing it is not much of a read.
Some of the cultural references to region was out of place mostly as Black Dog Summer is a reference to the deaths caused by racism in parts of Africa it seemed predictable to focus on the witch doctor later on in the plot as people sometimes refer Africa to witch doctors and Black magic none of it was needed so much in the storyline. I would not really recommend Black Dog Summer to a friend unless someone picks up the book in passing it is not much of a read.
July 15, 2022
An enjoyable read that felt a bit shallow. It could have delved a bit further into the themes of the mother/daughter relationship and the thoughts and prejudices in post apartheid SA.
The story line was intriguing and I liked the perspective from the spiritual/ sangoma side. The writing was very easy to read and flowed well.
I think bryony’s character maybe wasn’t too believable and seemed much younger and more naive than a standard 11 year old. I would have also liked more of a feel of South Africa. It didn’t transport me there like some other books do. Maybe the setting of the gated community felt a bit sterile?
The story line was intriguing and I liked the perspective from the spiritual/ sangoma side. The writing was very easy to read and flowed well.
I think bryony’s character maybe wasn’t too believable and seemed much younger and more naive than a standard 11 year old. I would have also liked more of a feel of South Africa. It didn’t transport me there like some other books do. Maybe the setting of the gated community felt a bit sterile?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2023
This suspense thriller was a rollercoaster! The story is about someone watching over their family after their death. It is told mainly through Bryony and Sally’s alternating perspectives within each of the chapters, that are not separate but organically intertwined. I really liked the descriptive writing style and how M.S wrote about children’s experience of the grief of adults, how they understand the cruelty of the world and process death. It was a change to read a book based in South Africa and its culture, with the story flowing seamlessly, with an unexpected twist near the end.
Book was a part of a book subscription from aboxofstories!
Tw: murder, massacre, self harm
Book was a part of a book subscription from aboxofstories!
Tw: murder, massacre, self harm
June 21, 2024
Loved certain aspects (rescue setting, difference between old and new South Africa, ideas about trauma as related to spirituality and Bryony and Gigi) but I ended up agreeing with lots of the other reviews. To me it was just barely missing a level of balance between everything and a lot of it seemed to go nowhere including, frustratingly, Lesedi and other Black characters. Great concepts but, to me, lacked in its execution.
January 26, 2019
hard to read because of the violence, but intriguing story, so I finished it. this will maybe teach me to pick up random books off the shelf.
also, pretty much every character in the book is white and ultimately innocent except for the perpetrators of the violence and the “magical negro” (a la spike lee), and the writer is white. I don’t recommend this book for that reason.
also, pretty much every character in the book is white and ultimately innocent except for the perpetrators of the violence and the “magical negro” (a la spike lee), and the writer is white. I don’t recommend this book for that reason.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2019
This was a very strange but interesting book. It had too many themes going: a horrific massacre of white people by blacks in South Africa; a teenager trying to survive seeing her mother be brutally murdered; and a preteen girl getting caught up in traditional South African Black Magic. I have to say I wanted to finish it, but can’t say I would recommend it or could explain it.
March 21, 2020
I really enjoyed the idea of perspective in this story and the concept that our loved ones watch over us once they have passed. The characters were enjoyable and different, along with the setting and sense of culture that was refreshing to read about.
A quick, delightful read with some twists and turns!
A quick, delightful read with some twists and turns!
November 22, 2021
Wow, what a great story from South African soil, intergrating our cultural heritage in such a relatable way! Loved every page, every character and the novel exploration of present themes. I appreciated most how Miranda Sherry was able to weave life lessons into the gripping tale without sacrificing one ounce of suspense.
March 18, 2024
This is one of the most well written and evocative books I have read in years. It brought me to tears more than once and I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed books similar to The Power of One and The Fault in Our Stars. I have to hunt down a copy for myself now because I will absolutely be reading this again.
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