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Harry Mac
A beautiful coming-of-age story set in a year of political turmoil in South Africa. Tom and Millie are best friends, relying on each other to make sense of what's going on in their lives and in the lives of their families. Despite a life that is not always safe, Tom and Millie learn who and what is important.
'I can't help feeling the lane where we lived had something to do with it all. As though these families had been put there for a reason... it was so still, like everyone was holding their breath a lot of the time.'
Tom and Millie are best friends who live in a quiet lane on the edge of town. They rely on each other to make sense of what's going on in their lives and in the lives of their families - especially Harry Mac's.
Harry Mac, Tom's dad, is a man of silences and secrets. And now Tom is involved in one of those secrets.
At school, Tom sits through lessons on the arms race and President Kennedy, waiting until he can be back on the lane where life is far more interesting: why does a black car drive slowly up the lane every night? And what did Harry Mac mean when he wrote in his newspaper 'people disappear in the night'? A series of shocking events and discoveries lead Tom closer to the truth, but threaten to tear his world apart.
Set within a fascinating period of South African politics, this is a coming-of-age story full of heart, soul and hope, in the tradition of Jasper Jones and To Kill a Mockingbird.
'I can't help feeling the lane where we lived had something to do with it all. As though these families had been put there for a reason... it was so still, like everyone was holding their breath a lot of the time.'
Tom and Millie are best friends who live in a quiet lane on the edge of town. They rely on each other to make sense of what's going on in their lives and in the lives of their families - especially Harry Mac's.
Harry Mac, Tom's dad, is a man of silences and secrets. And now Tom is involved in one of those secrets.
At school, Tom sits through lessons on the arms race and President Kennedy, waiting until he can be back on the lane where life is far more interesting: why does a black car drive slowly up the lane every night? And what did Harry Mac mean when he wrote in his newspaper 'people disappear in the night'? A series of shocking events and discoveries lead Tom closer to the truth, but threaten to tear his world apart.
Set within a fascinating period of South African politics, this is a coming-of-age story full of heart, soul and hope, in the tradition of Jasper Jones and To Kill a Mockingbird.
304 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2015
73 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 18, 2017
Harry Mac is set in apartheid era South Africa and follows a young protagonist, Tom. The title character ‘Harry Mac’ is Tom’s journalist father. The book reminded me a little of the Denzel Washington/Kevin Kline film Cry Freedom. As in that film, we see a newspaperman, in the case of this book – Harry Mac – participating in resistance activities against the apartheid government.
An interesting period in South African history, the book paints a picture of many from different cultural backgrounds, socio-economic classes, and genders attempting to bring about an end to apartheid. The second half of the novel was particularly strong and gripping.
An interesting period in South African history, the book paints a picture of many from different cultural backgrounds, socio-economic classes, and genders attempting to bring about an end to apartheid. The second half of the novel was particularly strong and gripping.
October 2, 2015
Tom is a young boy who lives with his family (father, mother, older brother) in a quiet lane in on the edge of town. His best friend is Millie who also lives on the lane and together they puzzle through the often mysterious goings on in their street at a time of change and struggle in South Africa.
Tom idolises his father Harry Mac, a big man who works for a newspaper and who is catching the attention of the wrong people with his scathing op ed pieces. One night Tom is somewhere he shouldn’t be and he overhears his father and his neighbour talking and Tom comes to the conclusion that his father is about to become involved in something terrible.
Tom’s world is changing, growing darker and more dangerous day by day as the politics of South Africa become more radiacalised. His brother is ready to leave for his compulsory military service and the whole family is on edge waiting to see where he will be assigned. The black car that visits the lane at night is a constant source of mystery to Tom and Millie, as is what really happened in the house on the corner. It seems that Tom is close to the truth but the consequences will be like nothing he could’ve ever imagined.
I knew this book would be just my thing the second I picked it up. Africa is one of my favourite settings for a novel and this one chooses an interesting and tumultuous time in South Africa’s political history, around the early 1960s. It’s an ugly history, in many different ways and Eldridge chooses to portray it through the eyes of a child who is perhaps just coming to terms with some of what he is beginning to see and hear. He knows enough to be scared of many things but at the same time, he’s still relatively young and his days are spent curiously asking questions. When he cannot ask his father, he asks his neighbour, Millie’s father Sol, a Jewish man who shares stories of the past with Tom and Millie.
The relationship Tom has with his father is what drives the novel. Harry Mac is a big man, a presence. Former military he now works for a newspaper, one of the ones seemingly left that doesn’t mind criticising the political party in charge and defying any attempts at censorship. Harry Mac’s op ed and front page pieces are the most critical of all, which means that he’s being watched, his phone lines tapped etc. Tom has a brother known as Little Harry (despite the fact that he’s no longer so little) who is older, a man ready to undertake his compulsory military service and who, once having started that, can suddenly relate to Harry Mac in ways that the younger Tom cannot. The older men sit drinking beer and Tom longs to join in, to be a part of their world. Instead he is on the sidelines, especially as the pressures of his job and the changing political environment force Harry Mac into his long silences and nights spent alone drinking grimly.
But despite the stress that comes with his job and refusing to back down, Harry Mac still finds time to relate to his youngest son when he can, including taking him out for a bush experience. It is there that Tom first learns what rhino smells like, something that he comes to associate with his father when he becomes angry (and perhaps helplessly angry about things that he doesn’t feel he can really change, no matter how hard he tries and bucks against the system). The household seems to revolve around the moods of Harry Mac – when he’s happy, Tom’s mother dances and laughs and the mood is light. When he’s brooding in silence, Tom’s mother is silent as well, the house is somber and darker. Harry Mac’s enormous presence is very dominant in the novel but I don’t meant that at all in a negative way. He’s a generous man who clearly cares about his family but at the same time, is feeling external pressure and frustration.
Tom is a wonderful character, he sees the world in such a unique way – equal parts youth and innocence as well as a growing sense of awareness about the world around him, and even fear that things will continue to become more and more complicated. I’m including this in my Around The World in 12 Books Challenge and part of the criteria for that challenge is that the book showcase life within its setting and timeframe and I think that this book does a fantastic job at that because you get to see what the situation was for so many characters, including ones that actually don’t even appear in the story but are merely mentioned in passing. Not only are we given a window into Tom’s life at home with his family and Harry Mac’s life at work in a political situation that is becoming more and more aggressive but we also get a chance to hear and see how Tom’s brother Little Harry goes in his military service. Apart from that, there’s also a pretty good look into life for some of the displaced Jews who settled in South Africa around the time of WWII as well as some of the black citizens, such as the lady who works as a kind of housekeeper/maid for Harry Mac and his family and what her son is doing as well. There’s a broad showcase of minor characters such as the young man injured in the war across the road, being cared for by his father as well as the physically gifted but perhaps mentally challenged young man who is using his athletic prowess as a way to attempt to avoid his military conscription. All of these weave together to paint the bigger portrait of life in 1960’s South Africa for a wide variety of people, with the story behind the family that formerly lived on the house on the corner of the lane perhaps one of the most heartbreaking and horrifying stories of all. This was a truly stunning and thought-provoking debut.
Tom idolises his father Harry Mac, a big man who works for a newspaper and who is catching the attention of the wrong people with his scathing op ed pieces. One night Tom is somewhere he shouldn’t be and he overhears his father and his neighbour talking and Tom comes to the conclusion that his father is about to become involved in something terrible.
Tom’s world is changing, growing darker and more dangerous day by day as the politics of South Africa become more radiacalised. His brother is ready to leave for his compulsory military service and the whole family is on edge waiting to see where he will be assigned. The black car that visits the lane at night is a constant source of mystery to Tom and Millie, as is what really happened in the house on the corner. It seems that Tom is close to the truth but the consequences will be like nothing he could’ve ever imagined.
I knew this book would be just my thing the second I picked it up. Africa is one of my favourite settings for a novel and this one chooses an interesting and tumultuous time in South Africa’s political history, around the early 1960s. It’s an ugly history, in many different ways and Eldridge chooses to portray it through the eyes of a child who is perhaps just coming to terms with some of what he is beginning to see and hear. He knows enough to be scared of many things but at the same time, he’s still relatively young and his days are spent curiously asking questions. When he cannot ask his father, he asks his neighbour, Millie’s father Sol, a Jewish man who shares stories of the past with Tom and Millie.
The relationship Tom has with his father is what drives the novel. Harry Mac is a big man, a presence. Former military he now works for a newspaper, one of the ones seemingly left that doesn’t mind criticising the political party in charge and defying any attempts at censorship. Harry Mac’s op ed and front page pieces are the most critical of all, which means that he’s being watched, his phone lines tapped etc. Tom has a brother known as Little Harry (despite the fact that he’s no longer so little) who is older, a man ready to undertake his compulsory military service and who, once having started that, can suddenly relate to Harry Mac in ways that the younger Tom cannot. The older men sit drinking beer and Tom longs to join in, to be a part of their world. Instead he is on the sidelines, especially as the pressures of his job and the changing political environment force Harry Mac into his long silences and nights spent alone drinking grimly.
But despite the stress that comes with his job and refusing to back down, Harry Mac still finds time to relate to his youngest son when he can, including taking him out for a bush experience. It is there that Tom first learns what rhino smells like, something that he comes to associate with his father when he becomes angry (and perhaps helplessly angry about things that he doesn’t feel he can really change, no matter how hard he tries and bucks against the system). The household seems to revolve around the moods of Harry Mac – when he’s happy, Tom’s mother dances and laughs and the mood is light. When he’s brooding in silence, Tom’s mother is silent as well, the house is somber and darker. Harry Mac’s enormous presence is very dominant in the novel but I don’t meant that at all in a negative way. He’s a generous man who clearly cares about his family but at the same time, is feeling external pressure and frustration.
Tom is a wonderful character, he sees the world in such a unique way – equal parts youth and innocence as well as a growing sense of awareness about the world around him, and even fear that things will continue to become more and more complicated. I’m including this in my Around The World in 12 Books Challenge and part of the criteria for that challenge is that the book showcase life within its setting and timeframe and I think that this book does a fantastic job at that because you get to see what the situation was for so many characters, including ones that actually don’t even appear in the story but are merely mentioned in passing. Not only are we given a window into Tom’s life at home with his family and Harry Mac’s life at work in a political situation that is becoming more and more aggressive but we also get a chance to hear and see how Tom’s brother Little Harry goes in his military service. Apart from that, there’s also a pretty good look into life for some of the displaced Jews who settled in South Africa around the time of WWII as well as some of the black citizens, such as the lady who works as a kind of housekeeper/maid for Harry Mac and his family and what her son is doing as well. There’s a broad showcase of minor characters such as the young man injured in the war across the road, being cared for by his father as well as the physically gifted but perhaps mentally challenged young man who is using his athletic prowess as a way to attempt to avoid his military conscription. All of these weave together to paint the bigger portrait of life in 1960’s South Africa for a wide variety of people, with the story behind the family that formerly lived on the house on the corner of the lane perhaps one of the most heartbreaking and horrifying stories of all. This was a truly stunning and thought-provoking debut.
July 17, 2015
Set in a South Africa in full political turmoil, this is a novel full of secrets, mysteries, family bonds, fights to live in a better world. From the beginning you are captivated by a complicated and disquiet political world, that shapes the lives of everybody.
Told through the eyes of little Tom, suffering from polio, this novel will capture your heart and will let you ponder the value of justice and freedom, the apartheid theme always in the background of this sweet and well-built story. Fascinating!
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Told through the eyes of little Tom, suffering from polio, this novel will capture your heart and will let you ponder the value of justice and freedom, the apartheid theme always in the background of this sweet and well-built story. Fascinating!
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
July 2, 2015
Won this Through Goodreads First Read.
Was drawn into this book from the first page. Seeing the world during this period of unrest through the eyes of a child was captivating. Fascinating book that touched my heart. A must read.
Was drawn into this book from the first page. Seeing the world during this period of unrest through the eyes of a child was captivating. Fascinating book that touched my heart. A must read.
July 24, 2020
Set in South Africa at the time leading up to the arrest of N. Mandela, the events are seen and interpreted through the eyes of a pre adolescent boy. This was done extremely well and I particularly liked his depiction of his father Harry Mac.
The fear and uncertainty permeated throughout, interspersed with episodes of humour and lightness.
There are lessons to be taken from this book, which does not lecture, but portrays human nature in all its forms.
The fear and uncertainty permeated throughout, interspersed with episodes of humour and lightness.
There are lessons to be taken from this book, which does not lecture, but portrays human nature in all its forms.
July 6, 2016
Brilliantly conceived historical and personal novel with memorable characters and a brooding, palpable atmosphere. Mr Eldridge evokes South Africa in the 60s with the political upheaval, questions of race relations, and closeness to the wild one may expect, but also with unexpected gentleness and something like love. Not really a coming-of-age story, the book however is firmly placed in the mind and observations of the narrator: a witness to and even participant in events that are always just out of his pre-teen grasp. His father, Harry Mac, his wider family and the other inhabitants of the lane are finely detailed yet his own motivations are not always in clear focus, an interesting technique that serves the material well.
Read this novel, it moves fast and requires attention, while also slowing you down at just the right times to enjoy vivid scenes and quicksilver descriptions. Highly recommended.
Read this novel, it moves fast and requires attention, while also slowing you down at just the right times to enjoy vivid scenes and quicksilver descriptions. Highly recommended.
November 5, 2015
This story reminds me of To Kill a Mocking Bird, where the complex and contrary layers of many characters are revealed through the watchful eyes of a child. The author deftly intertwines grim South African politics with the narrative, so it's part thriller, part coming of age. This novel offers a lot to like - a colourful range of characters; fabulous descriptions of the South African wilderness; descriptions of life in 1960s with cool drinks on the porch, suburban swimming pools, music and parties; all which contrast powerfully with the dark themes of the era. Eldridge handles these themes deftly, which makes key scenes even more shocking. This is a novel I could not stop thinking about and I will definitely read it again.
September 7, 2015
I received this book from Allen & Unwin in a Facebook competition.
I was really keen to read this book as it was compared to Jasper Jones which I have just read and enjoyed. Tom was a good character in that 'coming of age' point of view with life events forcing him to grow up quickly in 1960's South Africa. I did like this book in parts, but found it a bit slow paced. Even with a basic grasp of SA politics, I found it a bit hard to follow at times. A major premise of the plot is around secrets, the effect of these secrets and the threats to Tom's family, however I didn't really feel any build up of tension around this which would have made the ending a bit more exciting for me.
I was really keen to read this book as it was compared to Jasper Jones which I have just read and enjoyed. Tom was a good character in that 'coming of age' point of view with life events forcing him to grow up quickly in 1960's South Africa. I did like this book in parts, but found it a bit slow paced. Even with a basic grasp of SA politics, I found it a bit hard to follow at times. A major premise of the plot is around secrets, the effect of these secrets and the threats to Tom's family, however I didn't really feel any build up of tension around this which would have made the ending a bit more exciting for me.
August 19, 2015
My review is at http://catep36.blogspot.com.au/2015/0...
June 13, 2017
Won this through Goodreads First Reads.
Took me a while to finish but that definitely does not mean I lost interest. I wasn't aware of many of the key events illustrated in this book but the book's point of view made it simple and clear, which allowed me to focus on the ideas around the protagonist's coming of age story in the given setting.
Took me a while to finish but that definitely does not mean I lost interest. I wasn't aware of many of the key events illustrated in this book but the book's point of view made it simple and clear, which allowed me to focus on the ideas around the protagonist's coming of age story in the given setting.
September 5, 2017
Such an interesting way to discuss this part of South African history. I loved the little boy Tom's voice and his unique way of seeing his world as it is.
May 27, 2016
Harry Mac takes the reader to a time of political upheaval in South Africa when the young Nelson Mandela was wanted by the law, and freedom of speech was a dangerous activity. The story is told by Tom, the youngest son of English newspaper editor, Harry Mac. It becomes evident that the idyllic life Tom has enjoyed in the lane where the family lives is fast coming to an end with the landslide victory of the National Party. Tom begins to notice strange goings-on in the lane: black cars driving slowly by in the night and adults discussing political crimes in whispers. Tom’s father, Harry, tries to reach out to the masses through newspaper editorials on the dangers of a state intent on bending its citizens to its purpose, but he despairs that his words make no difference. Tom admires his father’s outspoken, larger than life character, but also fears for his safety. He wants to share his worries with his best friend and neighbour, Millie, but she has her own secrets to protect.
Tom’s coming of age is deftly managed. The world he thought he recognised and understood shifts inexorably as he matures. When Millie’s father, Sol, speaks to Tom about his experiences in the camps in Germany, he realises there are hidden depths to the adult world. When his mother retreats into depression after she believes Tom’s older brother had been killed in the military and his father drinks and sulks on the verandah, he is confronted with a new understanding: his parents are imperfect and vulnerable, and he loves them both dearly.
Eldridge’s journalistic background shines through in this novel, both in the content and the unembellished prose. From the first sentence, ‘When dad got tense he smelt like a rhino, a big suffocating smell you wanted to get away from”, the reader is immersed in Tom’s awakening to a new reality in his world; a South Africa where the majority silently acquiesce to political oppression; where Mandela and his supporters are forced underground; where people disappear in the night and borders offer scant protection from a regime determined to hunt down and kill dissenters in the name of national peace and security.
The novel is an eye-opener for readers who have never visited South Africa. International debate and condemnation around apartheid have tended to focus on Afrikaaners versus Native Africans, so it is easy for outsiders to forget that South Africa is a multicultural nation. As the novel unfolds the tightening laws effectively marginalise many groups with South Africa, are used to push Indian, Asian, Jewish and English inhabitants out of positions of power and influence.
I have one minor quibble with Harry Mac, and it relates to Harry. I am not talking about the way he is presented: Harry is a multi-dimensional character – bombastic, opinionated, downright rude and prone to violence, but also very likeable, intelligent and passionate. My issue is with his behaviour. My belief was stretched at times by the trouble he causes and the people he continues to openly defy. I couldn’t help wondering why he was left alone by such a ruthless regime when he was warned to stop, and other people were ‘disappearing’ for much less.
Harry Mac is an enjoyable read, but it is also a reminder that political scaremongering is used to quell national debate; that quietly accepting the disappearance of liberties, of the right to speak, and of people, cannot happen without the tacit consent of the majority. These concerns are universal, especially in a politically overheated climate of terror, where laws are rushed through to protect the masses, and reprisals are swift and often poorly thought out. Mixing a great story and timely observations on the human condition is not easy – one often suffers for the other, but Eldridge’s debut is proof that it can be done, and done well.
Tom’s coming of age is deftly managed. The world he thought he recognised and understood shifts inexorably as he matures. When Millie’s father, Sol, speaks to Tom about his experiences in the camps in Germany, he realises there are hidden depths to the adult world. When his mother retreats into depression after she believes Tom’s older brother had been killed in the military and his father drinks and sulks on the verandah, he is confronted with a new understanding: his parents are imperfect and vulnerable, and he loves them both dearly.
Eldridge’s journalistic background shines through in this novel, both in the content and the unembellished prose. From the first sentence, ‘When dad got tense he smelt like a rhino, a big suffocating smell you wanted to get away from”, the reader is immersed in Tom’s awakening to a new reality in his world; a South Africa where the majority silently acquiesce to political oppression; where Mandela and his supporters are forced underground; where people disappear in the night and borders offer scant protection from a regime determined to hunt down and kill dissenters in the name of national peace and security.
The novel is an eye-opener for readers who have never visited South Africa. International debate and condemnation around apartheid have tended to focus on Afrikaaners versus Native Africans, so it is easy for outsiders to forget that South Africa is a multicultural nation. As the novel unfolds the tightening laws effectively marginalise many groups with South Africa, are used to push Indian, Asian, Jewish and English inhabitants out of positions of power and influence.
I have one minor quibble with Harry Mac, and it relates to Harry. I am not talking about the way he is presented: Harry is a multi-dimensional character – bombastic, opinionated, downright rude and prone to violence, but also very likeable, intelligent and passionate. My issue is with his behaviour. My belief was stretched at times by the trouble he causes and the people he continues to openly defy. I couldn’t help wondering why he was left alone by such a ruthless regime when he was warned to stop, and other people were ‘disappearing’ for much less.
Harry Mac is an enjoyable read, but it is also a reminder that political scaremongering is used to quell national debate; that quietly accepting the disappearance of liberties, of the right to speak, and of people, cannot happen without the tacit consent of the majority. These concerns are universal, especially in a politically overheated climate of terror, where laws are rushed through to protect the masses, and reprisals are swift and often poorly thought out. Mixing a great story and timely observations on the human condition is not easy – one often suffers for the other, but Eldridge’s debut is proof that it can be done, and done well.
December 30, 2015
Harry Mac is a wonderful story. Set in the early years of apartheid South Africa, this is a story of growing up and awakening in a time of turmoil. The story centers around Tom, and his observations of Harry Mac (his father and editor of local opposition newspaper) and the other neighbours in his street. It is a highly accessible book, suitable and worthwhile reading for both young adults and adult readers. Some commentators have compared this book to To Kill a Mockingbird. This is a fair comparison in terms of both plot (young person watching his father's struggles with justice in an unjust environment) and focus on questions of morality. This book does not require a knowledge of South African history to be accessible. I would highly recommend this book.
I received this book as a Goodreads First Read in exchange for honest feedback.
I received this book as a Goodreads First Read in exchange for honest feedback.
November 4, 2015
Great book, characters you can really in picture. I had a limited knowledge of this period in South Africa, so I found it intriguing. I did have to lean my South African friend for a few translations.
April 4, 2016
Russell Eldridge tells the history of South Africa in the 1960's through the eyes of a young boy, his family and his neighbours. I got a new perspective on this difficult time, while falling in love with some great characters. Excellent book.
October 28, 2015
Cheryl Bookclub October 2015
June 14, 2016
Loved this book, a coming of age book.
February 22, 2016
Set in interesting time in South Africa's history - a period of which I know little
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews