We Kiss Them with Rain

by Futhi Ntshingila

Life wasn't always hard for fourteen-year-old Mvelo. There were good times living with her mother and her mother's lawyer boyfriend. Now her mother is dying of AIDS and the terrible thing that stole Mvelo's song remains unspoken, despite its growing presence in their shack. But a series of choices, chance meetings, and Shakespearean comedy-style exposures of hidden identities hands Mvelo a golden opportunity to overcome hardship.

We Kiss Them With Rain explores both humor and tragedy in this modern-day fairytale set in a squatter camp outside Durban, South Africa, in which the things that seem to be are only a façade, and the things that are revealed and unveiled create a happier, thoroughly believable, alternative.

We walk amongst the living
We, the departed . . .
We wander the earth
Wondering about the orphans we left behind
We kiss them with rain . . .

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, South Africa, Africa, Coming Of Age, Humor, Adult Fiction

172 pages, Paperback

First published February 19, 2018

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ravages and vagaries of hiv/aids...for years it does seem to be devastating sub saharan Africa and southern Africa in particular. The author, Ntshingila has been publishing fine creative works for some ten years now, including her debut novel, Shameless.

Her empathetic, humorous yet serious style has always been in evidence. This her latest work is sombre indeed, and undulates powerfully with rippling undercurrents that grip the reader, as a pertinent society is delineated and the young protagonist, Mvelo gets somewhat sucked into a whirlpool of angst and despair.

One can imagine the shock of the girl - all of 14 years old - when she discovers that her mother is dying of AIDS and that the world can be a thing of unspeakable horror.

And at the end we get to understand the haunting, doleful ramifications of the title of this work, as we read, re the departed ones (slightly paraphrased here):

We walk amongst the living…
Wondering about the orphans we left behind
We kiss them with rain

I was reminded of some of Ngugi wa Thiongo's exalted fiction in this work, as there are shifts in narration with many other characters introduced; but such background information is relevant and pertinent as we get to understand how this family is rocked and beleaguered, with so much sexual violence and even mindless apathy along the way.

How do the very young get to grips with such harrowing goings-on in society? How has it come to this? Did this brilliant author do research for this special work? Probably she is just keyed in to one aspect of poignant reality of her society - like in her outrageous debut, Shameless.

Futhi Ntshingila understands her characters inside out, and is now without any doubt one of the most significant Black authors in South Africa, with ever-increasing studies on her work by perceptive readers, pundits, and academics.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it took me a few moments to adjust to how this story is told, moving back in time so that each story unfolds in a nesting box fashion, once I understood its rhythm and structure, I came to appreciate the narration. The book begins with the story of Mvelo, a 14-year-old living in a shack in Durban, South Africa, with Zola, her mother who is dying of AIDS. At that point, Mvelo is described as "an old, worn-out shoe of a girl" (p. 1). She has a lovely singing voice, but her struggles to survive have silenced it. Like me, other readers will be curious to know how the family has fallen on such hard times, which the author proceeds to explain. In order to do so, she must tell not only Mvelo's story of abuse, but Zola's story, and those that came before them. As a reader, I was hard pressed to believe that so much misfortune could plague one family and I was shocked by the sexual assaults that seemed so commonplace in Mvelo's world. Clearly, the author has an agenda and intends to highlight the problems faced by girls such as Mvelo and her mother, and her book makes readers think about the issues she raises. Despite the emotionally challenging subject matter, the book contains moments of joy, surprise, and hope, and it is impossible to ignore the kindness of some individuals as contrasted with the cruelty and selfishness of others as well as the government's inability to do much of anything. Although I wish there had been more to the story and that the author had allowed her readers to spend more time with each character, I appreciated the reminder that there is often much more to those around us than what we think we know about them. Often it seemed as though I was barely getting to know one character before the story moved to another one, which could make it hard to care about the character. Still, these characters all had their own stories and identities, often hidden from just about everyone, and it was fun to watch those hidden elements be revealed.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking and beautiful. This story opens your eyes to the horror of the AIDS epidemic in Africa through the eyes of a 14 year old girl.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read that is written in a very non-linear style. The style of writing and how the story is told is an important vehicle for this tale as it all weaves together to tell the story of a 14-year-old girl living in a shack in Durban, South Africa. Her life cannot be explained without telling the story of her mother and grandmother and the people who play important roles in her life. As you reach the end of the book, you realize that this short volume has painted a complete picture and that the pieces have been revealed purposely. Haunting, and not easily forgotten.

[Moira DeNike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is listed as a YA book but that feels wrong for a few reasons. One, it covers adult themes, two, it doesn’t move like a YA novel. What I loved about this book was how it provided a glimpse into life in the township shack villages that persist in contemporary South Africa. Despite the many reforms that have occurred in South Africa since the end of apartheid, severe inequality persists, largely along racial lines. Large numbers of Africans are relegated to appalling living conditions. This book brings the shanty town to life and is an excellent choice if you’re going to South Africa. I did feel that the author could have done more “show don’t tell” to engage the reader more actively. In some ways, it felt like the first draft of what could have been an excellent novel.

[Cindy Pollard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enlightening

Very good story about AIDS in S Africa in the 90s and how it impacted lives in different families and the strength of those affected

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

If only this book were longer! The structure of the book was creative (starts in the near-present, then jumps back a couple generations and works its way forward) and served the purpose of building a sense of familial community around Mvelo, the central character. I would have liked to know even more about the backstories of certain peripheral characters, particularly Cleanman and Petra, both of whom seemed to exist only to move the plot along. I had the feeling as I read that backstories may have existed for these characters in particular, but that they were edited out in revisions. The writing style took me a little while to get used to--something about it felt a little stilted--but once I realized how much it felt like an oral story, I started to enjoy it much more. The story as a whole was engaging enough to keep me interested, and I particularly liked Zola, who was perhaps the most fleshed out character. I would read something by Ntshingila again, particularly if it is a longer book.

[Kirsten Reay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but powerfully emotional. There was a lot packed into its 170+ pages and admittedly I had trouble following and keeping the characters in my head (had to go back a few pages to get my bearings) but I enjoyed this book and the author's writing. I hope she writes more in the future.

[Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We kiss them with rain
We caress them with gentle wind
We warn them with thunder
We warm them with sunshine
We chase their nightmares with moonlight
We love them with the stars"

This is a gem of a story about women’s love and fellowship, strength, empowerment, and courage set in Durban, South Africa during the AIDS crisis.

Mvelo grew up with a strong mother and a father figure who was educated and a giving man, but as a young girl of 14 her mother died of AIDS and her father figure died soon after. At 14 she found herself alone in the world shouldering hardships and responsibilities far beyond her age. She wound up living in a squatter camp, among the marginalized, impoverished, and with no source of income.

The story illustrates the squatter dwellers as people just trying to get on with life, finding joy where they can. They dance, sing, go to church services. They do what they can to make a living, find work, and eat enough to survive – even if it means begging or picking through garbage to find scraps to fill their bellies. The author also shows the other side of the coin, social injustice, ignorance, poverty, and rampant rapes perpetuated on the young girls of these neighborhoods.

Some folks have said that the ending is not realistic – the author explains that not all South Africans that start out poor wind up poor in life; that many succeed in improving their lives and Mvelo fought tooth and nail to do so – granted aided by the folks who surrounded her.

The book can be a tough read at times, but there is hope, there is unconditional love and things are changing - slowly, perhaps too slowly, but they are changing.

[Etty Krieger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author Futhi Ntshingila is south African and intends to highlight the problems faced by girls such as Mvelo and her mother, about Aids, sexual abuse and Apartheid. The book allows readers to think about the issues that Mvelo deals with. Despite the emotionally and challenging subject matter, there are moments of joy, surprises and hope, when the kindness of some individuals are contrasted with the cruelty and selfishness of others or as the government's inability to do much for Mvelo and her family, as well as other Africans. The book relates generations (background) of women enduring the Apartheid, the AIDS epidemic and the misogyny in South Africa. Sexual abuse is related to girls` lives in the book.

It`s also an encouragement against situations of abuse and negligence. “A difficult but joyful meditation on one girl`s perseverance and ultimate triumph”, as mentioned Cole Lavalais on the book`s cover. The back cover suggests that We Kiss Them With Rain uses elements of Shakespearean comedy to tell the tale.

These identities serve as mirror and reflect the author`s background and what she also sees in her country, when becomes to critical multicultural book analysis (Botelho and Kabakow). The book reflects the culture, the social issues and also, honors an African author, when gets an Award as Outstanding International Book, in 2019, by the United States Board on Books for Young People.
The book is considered a “coming-of-age” literature. It means a genre that focuses on the growth of a protagonist from youth to adulthood.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

We kiss them with rain by Futhi Ntshingila.

This is a sharp novel that follows Mvelo’s life, a young girl growing up in South Africa in poverty and difficulties. History considers stable topics, love, and the impact of social inequality. Mvelo faced many difficulties, including losing her mother and the harsh reality of life in the village, but she was completely determined to create a better future for herself. I appreciate the raw and emotional story of the book because it offers a real picture of social struggle and personal force. Heroes feel true, and their experience is pain and inspiration. However, sometimes the rhythm seems slow, tying some parts into the long part. I would like to introduce this book to readers who like stories based on characters and stories about development and sustainable hope. In general, the novel acts as a strong reminder of strength and the ability to increase in excess of difficulties. 

[Gabrielle Blanchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only negative being that the ending felt just a tad rushed. The majority of the book is so sad and scary but then the last dozen+ pages get overly positive too quick. However I love the ending and the overall storyline. Not to mention I love the way rain and water is portrayed throughout the book (a combo of a mental and physical cleanser but also of love for nature and pure joy). There is a very strong feminist theme however it’s not super obvious which I love. I also really felt how strongly the author felt about the events that genuinely happened and the way they were portrayed. The ending being so hopeful is exactly what I enjoy in books. Have hope through the hard times and all will end well.

[Jennifer Wrage · Rating 4 out of 5]

FYI: I won this book on goodreads.com.
Even though I found the African names and terms challenging at times, the story was one well worth reading. Futhi shared raw emotions and situations I had never even considered. She wrote from the heart and did justice to all those that have been impacted by the struggles she shared. I will never think about funerals quite the same! Bless Futhi for giving me a small window into what being black in apartheid South Africa was like.

[Joann]

Church women group reading program selection.
Cast of characters intertwined & confusing as the story also flips from past to present time.
Wish there had been a dictionary in the back to define the African terms used in the book.
Incorporates pertinent topics and hazards of daily like in African villages.
Lunchtime read.

[Rob Forteath · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is pretty good, but the plotting is clunky and much of the writing is weak. Before halfway through, you are convinced that everything will work out happily, no matter how many unlikely coincidences and other machinations will be required by the author to bring about such a conclusion.

[Megan Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost didn’t get past the first few pages in this book because of both the font and the storytelling style. It was a lovely story at the end but I would have connected with it much more if it hadn’t been told all in the past.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read and a moving story. Well worth the read.

[Shanique Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely and heartbreaking, but not sad.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet sad story. I enjoyed this quick read.

[Paula Globerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book.

[Monchichi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent