Dancing the Death Drill

by Fred Khumalo

Paris, 1958. An Algerian waiter at the famous restaurant La Tour d’Argent is convicted of the murder of two customers. As he is awaiting trial, his long-time friend Jerry Moloto helps an opportunistic and ambitious journalist build a case to defend him.

Through Jerry’s testimony the reader discovers that the waiter is actually Pitso Motaung, a mixed race South African drafted to fight in the First World War. He is also one of the few remaining survivors of the SS Mendi tragedy, which saw the formidable warship sink off the coast of the Isle of Wight, killing 646 people, including many black South African soldiers. So how did a brave soldier become a criminal and will Pitso’s name be cleared before it is too late?

Commemorating the 100th year anniversary of the sinking of the SS Mendi, Dancing the Death Drill is a timely novel about life and the many challenges it throws our way.

Genres: Historical Fiction, South Africa, Africa, France, Fiction, Travel

328 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2017

About the author

Fred Khumalo is the author of the novels Bitches’ Brew, which was a joint winner of the 2006 European Union Literary Award, and Seven Steps to Heaven. His memoir, Touch My Blood, was shortlisted for the Alan Paton Prize for Non-fiction in 2007, and his most recent book, #ZuptasMustFall and Other Rants, was published in 2016. His short fiction has appeared in various anthologies, literary journals and magazines. He holds a MA in Creative Writing from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where he lives.

Reviews

[Boitshepo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just came here to say that I am at a complete loss for words. This book exceeded all my unfairly extremely high and unfounded expectations. I am shocked by all its glory. The characters were alive in my night dreams.
Okay let me catch my breath and catch up on life then say just a bit more. But goodness, if a reader reads no other book this year...
*****

When you say to someone,
"Listen, if you can only read one book this entire year, read this," about any book, you're pretty much putting all of your street cred on the line. Should they read and hate it or read and end up with only lukewarm feels for it, they'll find it hard to ever stop judgy-judging you based on that. And this can even ripple to other areas of yalls relations lol

This, Dancing The Death Drill by Fred Khumalo, is a book I would dare to say, "read only this one if you can't read any other book in 2017," about.

Jeez I don't even know where to start except to say, it is historical fiction inspired by the sinking of the ss Mendi one hundred years ago in 1917, a ship that was carrying 802 black soldiers headed to France
(I find that words run away from me when I try to explain what they were going to do there. Hard to explain the cruel exploitation of the white man needing the black man to fight for him in yet another war, but deeming this very black man unworthy to carry a gun. Only good enough to carry all the hard labour needed during war. An unarmed soldier).

When the ship sank, about 610 of those 802 soldiers did not make it. They travelled for over a month on water, most of them having seen the ocean for the first time upon arriving in Cape Town by train for the trip, only to lose their lives in that very water, on the last stretch of their long journey.

Dancing The Death Drill in itself, tells the story of Corporal Pitso Motaung, a fragment of Bra Fred's imagination, who survives the tragedy and lives to tell the tale. The tale from the time his parents met in 1901, till his present day predicament of 1958.

Khumalo beautifully weaves fact into fiction such that the reader is as wide-eyed while reading the statistics and bare facts, as they are while laughing and crying with the make-believe family and friends.

As I was wolfing the book down, I was wondering if I could call it unputdownable. But I don't think I can, even though I was greedy about it.
Thing is, it has lots of history to pause and reflect on, from the land grabs to the Anglo-Boer War to the ridiculous racist privileges to tribalism to morals when no one else is looking and a whole lot of other things.

It is a hard book for me to tease on without over-sharing. I'm struggling to even quote nyana. But the one surprise that I can talk about is, how such a grave book had me laughing so much. Even had me dreaming in isiZulu the other night.

I went into it expecting bleakness and death and lots of sadness but beautifully written sadness.
I went into it with high unrealistic unfounded expectations and all those sky-high expectations were surpassed.

So:
"If you read no other book in 2017..."

[Omphile Raleie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most definitely a highlight read for me for 2018.

Will begin my Fred Khumalo collection now because I loved Fred’s style of writing this amazing historical fiction book. Cannot wait to read more of his work.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally written for my blog

I received this as an eARC from Jacaranda Books, and was first drawn to it because of the stunning cover. I'd not read any Historical Fiction in a while, and this sounded particularly fascinating as I'd never heard of the SS Mendi before this and I really enjoyed reading Salt to the Sea last year about another navel disaster, that of the Wilhelm Gustloff which I had also not heard about before reading the book.

The novel starts off with Pitso serving customers in a restaurant when suddenly he stabs two of them to death and calmly waits to be arrested. A reporter tracks down a friend of his to learn his life story and from there we go right back to the Boar war, following first the story of his father and mother then Pitso right through from when he was a child until he enlists on the SS Mendi and the events that surrounded the sinking and the aftermath of that.

The book was very well written and it was clear that a lot of research had gone into it, and I was particularly pleased with the end where the author discussed his research and even included a suggested further reading section.

Pitso was an excellent character, I really loved reading about his life and the difficulties he faced due to his background. The rest of the characters were all very well written and I really enjoyed the use of language in the book - both the way it was written, and the inclusion of several languages that the characters spoke (the main two being Sesotho and Zulu). The mix of various South African languages really helped immerse you in the novel and I enjoyed seeing the interaction between the different cultures.

I was a huge fan of this book, and ended up staying up until almost 3am to finish it as I just couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend it to everybody and it also works really well for a variety of challenges that are running - it works as a "Book about War" for Book Riot's challenge, it's a South African book for those doing Read Around the World challenges and could count for several squares on #DiversityBingo

[Bongani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wonder how many people know about the story of the ss Mendi. I sincerely hope this book will be turned into a movie.

To read 342 pages in 2 week days can only mean one thing; great book.

[Shawn Mooney (Shawn Breathes Books)]

I had high hopes for this one, but it's hitting me like a dimestore mystery novel, with prose to match. No thank you. Bailed within the first twenty pages.

[Lebo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting book... enjoyed it😊

[Nonhlanhla Mbotini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was beyond amazed by the book, had I known the sort of greatness kept on my unread books pile, I wouldn't have only read it five months later after receiving it. It is a definite must read and one of the best books I've read in 2017. It drew me in so much that even now, writing this three days later after I have finished reading the book the characters still stayed with me and will continue to do so for long.

The story was inspired by the tragic sinking of the SS Mendi. Having little knowledge of this historic tragedy I felt it was able to fill some gaps and that Fred Khumalo was able to deliver well researched facts.

The protagonist Pitso Motaung is one of the fictional soldiers who managed to survive the tragic sinking of the SS Mendi.

The first chapter on its own played a major role of grabbing my attention. I knew from there that I want to see more, read more. The story begins with two men entering a restaurant in France, they end up getting killed by the head waiter Pitso Motaung. A journalist Thierry tracks down his friend Jerry Moloto who narrates the story of his friends life leading to that particular day, to the death of these two men. This leads us to who these men were and why they might have been killed.

The book took me on a pleasurable historic journey. The life of Pitso motaung, his background, how his decisions were more or less based on being a better man than his father ever was. Not running away from your responsibilities, fighting till the end and I felt that he achieved that because even on the verge of what could be the end of his life he stood accepting his fate, accepting whatever that was bound to happen. He waited to accept his verdict.
He knew why he left home, for war and it could either mean life or death.

Some of the quotes :
'You are going to die... but that is what you came to do... brothers, we are drilling the death drill'.

'I should have died many times before. So what is death now? But my story must be heard' I am dancing my death drill. No one can take it away from me. This death drill is my truth'.

Some themes covered here were Forced removals, Racial Segregation, Tribalism. This is one book I would definitely read again.

[Puleng Hopper · Rating 5 out of 5]

An explosive and bloody beginning. The story opens at a posh restaurant in France . A waiter is involved in a fatal confrontation with two patrons. He stabs the one diner and slits the throat of the other . The waiter gets arrested . The waiters's best friend Jerry Moloto and a reporter Thierry Bousquet then get to the bottom of the why , who and what of the incident.

In a brilliant display of creative writing, Khumalo covers matters of racial prejudice, tribalism, country, survival, love , friendship , family, mental illness , art, war,and death. An excellent work of fiction that helps to resuscitate and to immortalize the significance of the real life maritime disaster of the SS Mendi of 1917. Out of 802 Black soldiers, six hundred and seven died. The survivors proceeded to serve until 1918 .

The book is filled with historical fact including the devastations of colonialism for Blacks and the Anglo Boer war.

A worthwhile investment and a history lesson.

[Phumlani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theres a history lesson cleverly hidden in the pages of this book, it grips you with its flowing narrative and by the time you discover its a historical work and you remember you aversion to historical fiction, its too late, you're too invested to put it down!
Its a sad tale of the lives lost during the senseless war and its a generation old question, why did the blacks get involved in a war that had absolutely nothing to do with them, it s stark reminder (for those who are fortunate enough to forget) of the cruelty of racism and the lack of value white people put on black lives, its about individual friendships across the racial divide, love,the effect of absent fathers and one guys refusal to do away with is black heritage.

[Tiah]

– A man is never without some shit in him. –

– He had come to the realisation that thoughts needed to be dressed in appropriate clothing before being sent out to do the speaker's bidding. –

– Based on the evidence before me, I therefore conclude that you don't know yourself. –

– We are drilling the drill of death, we are drilling the drill of death, we are drilling the drill of death, nasi isporho! Hamba sporho! –

– Today I am dancing the death drill, I'm telling my story. –

[Zinhle Ngidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of pieces of our history that we know nothing about. To be honest, reading this, made me somehow ashamed of how little we know of our past. I have always known about a ship that sank called ssMendi and I never took any interest in it. Maybe we read about it at school, I don't know, ngangifundela ukuphasa vele. I realised that, regarding our history, we sift out what we don't want and keep what we want.

Readers, all I can say is when reading this, you will not miss the talent and the imaginative mind the author displays in this piece of work. You would even ask yourself if he was there or any of his family members was part of the Blacks who left SA on a ship to fight, unarmed, in a European war that had nothing to do with them while SA white soldiers carried guns. He makes those characters in that book alive. Some stories are shared with so much humor that you will keep screen grabbing for later use or send to your friends.

Even if you are not a lover of Historical fiction, you will be captured by how well written and how the characters grow in the story and just for the general interest of where we come from. All facts are backed up by a well researched work by the author.

I felt something when I realised that nowadays we (understandably so) do not even want to participate in the voting process because of loss of trust and all, but it is also so sad that some of those troops went there because they were promised a right to vote back home which never happened. Some died without reaching the destination when the Mendi sank. When the time of the enquiry took place, where about 600 (mostly Blacks) drowned on the sea, it was just for formality.
Some of the themes covered are racial prejudice , interracial relationships, tribalism, mental illness, war, family and many more.

Pitso, born in the Free State, a result of a white soldier that had run from war and found refuge in the hands of Basotho- abo Motaung. He grows up and chooses his mother's side. He meets a white married woman who in their relationship as a teacher, teaches him French English and Music. Because of being a colored, he grows up knowing both Afrikaans and seSotho then later English and many more other African languages. Little did he know that knowing all these languages, oneday he would find himself in that Mendi, traveling with other black and white South Africans to fight in Europe. Knowing different languages became an advantage for him, sometimes more than what White privileged leaders could understand. Follow his journey, it's not an easy one but very interesting.
Like they always say swenka, you never disappoint. You have ability of taking what most would view as boring stories of wars and apartheid etc. into something great. Your creativity is on another level. Between this and The Longest March, I do not know which one made me laugh than the other. Your characters can leave one wanting more.

Mtungwa... Izandla zidlula ikhanda

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I ever create a "Top 10" list of 2017 remarkable reads, THIS will definitely be in my top 5.

[Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Summary:

If you are a South African reader or a bit of a history buff this review might be of specific interest to you. If not, it would be sufficient to note that there are many historical inconsistencies which spoils the story badly, but the story of the heroism of the troops on the sinking SS Mendi did actually happen.

I wanted to read this book for so long, especially as I've been aware of the story of the tragic loss of the SS Mendi. This is supposed to be a novel set against real historic events. Unfortunately, the author didn't seem to bother to check basic facts about the history of the 2nd Boer War/South African war. This is a shame as the story loses all credibility and a reader can doubt that fact that the African troops stood calmly on deck as the SS Mendi sank after being involved in an accident with a larger vessel. The alternative is that an unknowing reader would believe that a South African author would get his important facts right and then be totally misguided by what should be taken with a bag of salt.

The history of the events that led to the Boer war and the effects of the war had a significant effect on South Africa’s history and the implementation of racist legislation during after the war up till about 1990. The outcome of the war contributed to South Africa’s participation in both world wars. The “official story” about these three war’s story as taught in history in South African schools has for long been that it was a white/Europeans only affair and that other South Africans didn’t suffer or where not brave enough to fight. The opposite is in fact true: there where many non-Europeans South Africans that fought on both sides of the Boer War, there where concentration camps for blacks and non-European South Africans did participate in both world wars, whilst the Afrikaner community was very divided about participation both world wars. There was even a South African rebellion during World War 1 by the side opposing participation with Britain. It is thus important to any novel set against this historical South African backdrop and dealing with characters influence by it to get the important aspects right, which I doubt to be the case.

This book could be the victim of sloppy research in an attempt to produce a book in time for the year of the centenary of the SS Mendi tragedy. The number of significant errors was just too much for me to continue reading a book which will irritate me till the end to warrant spending precious time on it.

Detail:

Here are just a few of the most glaring factual errors/implausibilities by page 27 of 280:

1. Suggesting the character of Cornelius de la Rey don't know of the famous General Jacobus Hercules de la Rey (better known as Koos de la Rey). Afrikaners had a very strong awareness of their extended family, their names and what's happening in their lives at the time. The de la Rey surname was and is extremely scarce in South Africa, thus it is quite reasonable that Cornelius would have been aware of somebody with the same surname who was a senior member of the Transvaal Republic's Volksraad (parliament). General de la Rey was very much in the news prior to the start of the war due to his strong opposition to going to war. By the time when Cornelius' story starts, General de la Rey's military fame has not yet been widely known, but as a member of General de Wet’s commando ha should have been aware of General de la Rey as the two generals regularly interacted right from the start of the war.

2. The author would have us believe the Burghers (essentially citizens & militia members) went for training during the war. Perhaps the author believes that this must have happened as it was the typical case for organized armies in the case of new recruits. There were cases of shooting skills training at the start of the war for city dwellers on the Boer side. Farmers didn't need to learn to shoot; most where world class marksmen, which was a significant factor in the early part of the war.

3. He refers to Cornelius's Krupp rifle. In fact, the Boers used a new Mauser model (K98?) which contributed to their marksmanship due to its range and accuracy. This is equivalent to saying the Vietnamese used M16's as opposed to AK47's during the Vietnam war with the US. The Boer artillery did use Krupp guns but those where cannons, not something you sling over your shoulder.

4. During Cornelius' defection he rides a whole day in forests in the Southern Free State. Really? Has the author ever been to that part of his own country? Its mostly grass plains. There are some trees and yes there can be small clumps along river beds or in narrow valleys, but to even stand a chance for so many trees to “ride in the forest a whole day” he would have to have been near the Transvaal border and not the Basutoland/Lesotho border.

5. Suggesting that Commandos had a significant professional soldier component. The Boer armies had almost no professional soldiers. The Transvaal had a professional artillery corps lead by Prussian officers. During the course of the war there where some professional soldiers that joiner the Boer forces on a volunteer basis from mostly Europe. Hardly a common sight or a significant part of a commando as suggested by the book. In the case of the Transvaal Republic they did use their police force (ZARP) as soldiers as they had relevant training. General de Wet was of the Free State Republic.

6. Killing of wounded under General |Christiaan de Wet’s instruction. There were definitely atrocities of this nature during the war on the Boer side. But not on General de Wet’s instruction or as far as I know in his Commando. This is equivalent of writing in a novel that George Washington or Lord Nelson ordered the murder of wounded enemy soldiers. Had he set the commander as a real known villain or a fictitious character it would have been totally fine.

7. The author mentions the effect of the scorched earth policy being in force prior to the fall of the Transvaal. This is a significant feature of the war and still a major gripe against the British conduct in the war to this day. The problem is the scorched earth policy started much later in the war after the Transvaal capital of Pretoria was taken and well into the guerrilla phase. This is equivalent to writing a WW2 novel and have Dunkirk take place after D-day.

8. Burghers digging a deep mass grave and Cornelius thinking they are farming initially. I guess Cornelius’s character must have been really ignorant of the realities of his farming profession and the progress of the war. The Boers made extensive use of their African far hands, as well as forced labour from the local African communities, to do this kind of manual labour during the war. As a farmer he should have almost immediately been able to see that it wasn’t a farming type activity taking place, especially as the digging is described as being done by Burghers, whom all would have been white. The author misses an opportunity to introduce the real facts and link the storyline of subjugation and being ignored in the history of “white South Africa”.

[Nicci Legoka · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a remarkable and enlightening read!! The best novel I’ve read in a while. Highly recommended.

[Samantha Venter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew very little about the ss Mendi, probably because, (similar to the author's experience), we learned very little about South Africa's involvement in WWI at school. This important story is beautifully written with rich descriptions of people, scenarios and landscapes, and powerful scenes of bravery from beginning to end. I could not put this book down!

[Kathe Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dancing in the Death Drill by Fred Khumalo
Dancing in the Death Drill is a biography retelling the story of the SS Mendi which was struck by another ship in the Isle of Wight in 1917. More than 600 Black South African troops lost their lives. As the narrative opens we meet Jean Jaques Henri (later we find he has several alias) the head waiter in an upscale restaurant in France who suddenly, without warning, stabs and kills two patrons then quietly waits for the police to come and arrest him. Why did this normally quiet reserved fiftyish man of sophistication commit such a heinous crime? The narrative then goes back in time from his parents first encounter, through his childhood until he enlists on the SS Mendi to tell his story. His father was Boer and his mother a kaffir meid and as a mixed-race child he was subjected to was never accepted by either. After the Anglo-Boer War the South African troops, seduced by the British’s offer of high wages, and signed aboard the SS Mendi to fight the Germans in WW1. As the tale unfolds we learn the reason for Jean Jaques his actions. Khumalo’s novel has given a voice to all that lost their lives as well as committing to writing a story that had been mostly forgotten. Excellent 5.0 stars. https://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Death-...

[Tumelo Moleleki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book so much that I binge read it. I loved how the author wove the fabric of the fictional character's life around the facts about the Mendi and the war. I mainly take issue with the use of a Setswana version of the name Kamohelo for ngwana Mosotho and the fact that it was alluded that bana ba Basotho ba bitsa bontatabona 'Papa'. I believe this to be historically inaccurate. I found the life that unfolded for Matshidiso after she left her home to be with a spineless afrikaaner man sad and disappointing turn of events but not an unexpected one. Her subsequent demetia and penchant for having coitus with men across the racial line who eventually abandon her was just so annoying. She is an unfortunate fiction because her fiction rings true for a surprising sum. I loved the fact that the protagonists were artists, being a drawer and a lover of musical instruments, I found I could have been friends with their ilk under different circumstances. An engaging read from the first to the last word. I see Jean-Jacques lost his mind at the end there. He allowed fear to rule his life and rob him of the pleasures he might have enjoyed considering his location. I realise the war might have made movement and travel a challenge but how about living on the wild side?

[J.E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fred Khumalo explores the history of South Africa in this tale that begins with such promise: a spectacular murder by an otherwise soft-spoken waiter. But the narrative then jumps back in time to follow Pisto's parents before moving into his own story and on to the tragic event of the sinking of the S.S. Mendi. The shift in time left me wondering if and when the story would return to its initial inciting incident. Not until the end, after all, and with a swift recounting that lost the dramatic appeal. The fiction morphed into journalistic style, abandoning the murder mystery to send us meandering through the wars that shaped the nation's development. Well-written and informative, but ultimately a bit unsatisfying..

[Paige Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, history that I'm ashamed to say I didn't know about. Should be required reading for every single South African.

[Ayanda Xaba · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Abelungu oswayini
Basincisha itiye
Basibize ngoswayini"

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed my sister's signed copy of this, while visiting S.A. It covers a slice of history that I was previously unfamiliar with.

[Elite Group · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paris 1958, a waiter in a famous restaurant suddenly, for no apparent reason, kills two of his customers. While he is in jail awaiting trial a reporter hounds the waiter’s friend Jerry Moloto into telling him the story that culminated in the terrible murders.

Jerry tells the story of Pitso Montaung, a Black South African who came to France via a British troopship SS Mendi which sank on the coast of the Isle of Wight, killing 646 people including many black soldiers.

SS Mendi is a true story beautifully incorporated into this tragic story.

WOW!! What a book, it had me hooked from page one. Beautifully written, the story is a sad one, starting with Pitso’s Boer Father and black Mother, through the terrible years of Pitso’s childhood, where his mother descends into depression and his feeling of not belonging because of his mixed race, and onto his fateful journey on the SS Mendi to fight for the British in World War 1.

Pitso comes across as a lost soul with nowhere he feels he could belong. Through his trials, he becomes a strong and brave man willing to do anything to feel wanted.

A brilliant book written with so much passion it is hard not to feel everything the characters are feeling. Sad though to provoke and utterly entrancing, this book is a modern classic that everybody should read.

Shesat

Breakaway Reviewers were given a copy of this book to review.

[Lwazi Bangani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the best piece of literature I have ever come across. Pitso’s story reads more like the story of Mongezi Feza narrated by Neo Muyanga at his Revolting Music performance.

This is such a rich collection of history that it left me mesmerised and longing for more. Fred Khumalo wrote this book with an incredible effort of prowess. This book has taught me about the history of the SS Mendi platoon, life at sea and I have also gauged some of the lived experiences of our exiles when they ran overseas for shelter at the peak of our struggle for Freedom.

Unfairly so, this book has just became my default benchmark for fiction (even though it is based on factual accounts) going forward. If I wasn’t behind in my reading goals for the year, this book would have definitely been a lovely read to end the year with. It was worth the time!

[Bukola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jean-Jacques Henri, an Algerian waiter at a restaurant in Paris, has committed murder. His story however, does not begin at the point of murder; It goes far back to South Africa, where he is known as Pitso Motaung, a mixed-race, hot-tempered young man who volunteered to join the war because he had something to prove.

Pitso's journey, although not nearly as interesting to me as that of the Mendi and the peoples/cultures of SA, is the frame through which the events unfold. Many of Khumalo's characters are well-developed and consistent, even though I found some of them unnecessary, or maybe just allotted more lines of speech than were strictly necessary. I also thought there was some redundancy in the writing.

I was not intensely gripped by the story, but I definitely enjoyed reading it. Before reading 'Dancing the Death Drill,' I had not heard of the SS Mendi. This book is a good education not only on the ill-fated ship, but also on colonial relations and racial tensions in South Africa, and for this reason, I would recommend it.

[Tilly Ngope · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending left me with a lot of questions, it was a good read , your background doesn’t determine who you become it’s a choice we make on how we want to improve our lives. Pitso showed bravery, resilience n hard work .

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

mendi survivor
faces his demons of war,
tells our history

[Andy – And The Plot Thickens · Rating 4 out of 5]

2017 marked the centenary of the sinking of the SS Mendi, a ship carrying 800 native South African men to fight in WWI. They died in service and yet they were forgotten and ignored.

"Dancing the Death Drill" refers the traditional death dance the men performed as the ship sank off the Isle of Wight, their bravery legendary in the face of death.

Fred Khumalo's story opens when the well-respected head waiter in a Parisian restaurant murders two customers in 1958. The crime seems random but the man's long-lost friend begins to tell a journalist in search of a story, the tale of a lifetime.

[Jayne Bauling · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful, intimate, and moving novel, spanning decades, with the sinking of the SS Mendi at its core. It’s a story that pierces the heart, of the immense tragedy of one hundred years ago and the degrading treatment of black South African men who volunteered to serve in WWI. It is told with deep respect for the over six hundred soldiers who perished so far from home, great frankness, and a lacing of affecting humour. Wonderful story-telling, with an unforgettable character in Pitso Motaung.

[Mac Muzvimwe · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is more of a 3-Star but as I like the writing style (I find it to be a better version of mine), I have given it 4 stars. Fred Khumalo tells the story the way I personally like them told; with fluency, and sometimes simplicity in the expressions, bringing out the emotions of the characters which can be hard especially when telling a story based on true history. What I didn’t quite understand was why Pitso never fell for a non-French/white woman? The only native/ black woman he seemed to appreciate was his mother. The bit between the two world wars - Pitso’s life as a husband and father was rather rushed, confined to a few lines. Did he get to be a better father and husband than his own father? Overall, I feel like Khumalo could have given us more from Pitso’s side. Why didn’t he visit SA with his new identity, explore his roots, show his son where it all began? Most pleased that someone told the story of SS Mendi and somewhat frustrated that the treatment of natives has not changed much since those days in some walks of life in SA and abroad.

[Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it, and (embarrassingly) wasn’t aware of the story. But I did want more; more character development and more backstory (people just disappear…). Well worth your time though.