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Dikeledi: Child of Tears, No More
An evocative and finely detailed novel of ordinary life under apartheid that follows the lives of a family, particularly the women of various generations, who are named Dikeledi, who together form the backbone of the story. Dikeledi captures, carefully and movingly, the essence of the turbulent days in which it is set. The focus on family drama within an incredibly difficult social situation, the small daily struggles rather than the huge challenges that conventionally make for ‘good’ archival footage, are what sets the novel apart from other literature that deals with the period.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 9, 2017
Dikeledi is a compelling story of a family, focussing on the strong women over several generations, navigating their lives in the difficult circumstances of apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa from the 1960s to the present. The complexities of their lives that are forced on them by the politics of their time add to the more usual complications of any family life.
Dangor writes movingly about their pain and struggles. He also writes realistically about women's sexual feelings and desires - in a way I could relate to and not take offense at as I do with some men's writing about women.
The last part of the book takes place post-apartheid, and continues to find the complexities, the loyalties, confusions and connections that main and supporting characters bring with them as hangovers or motivations in democratic South Africa. Showing corruption and duplicitous behaviours in a small town is an effective comment on the wider and higher placed corruption that appears in news media regularly. As a few characters flip-flop in their intentions, Dangor shows the great confusion and desperation of people who turn to crime to make a living in a state with extremely high unemployment levels, but who are not committed to the crimes when their personal loyalties are tested.
This is the third book I've read in as many months about people navigating this period of South African history - the other two are memoirs, Sisonke Msimang's Always Another Country and Stephanie Kemp's Through an Unforgettable Storm. The varying circumstances of the main characters in each of these three books all tell part of the difficult story of living through the struggle against apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa from the late 1950s until now. While the characters had different backgrounds and lived in different countries during this period, the sense of lives being increasingly complex due to the external circumstances is strong.
Dangor's novel, like the memoirs, is a helpful and valuable contribution to understanding the convoluted history of which all these people, real or characters, have been part.
Dangor writes movingly about their pain and struggles. He also writes realistically about women's sexual feelings and desires - in a way I could relate to and not take offense at as I do with some men's writing about women.
The last part of the book takes place post-apartheid, and continues to find the complexities, the loyalties, confusions and connections that main and supporting characters bring with them as hangovers or motivations in democratic South Africa. Showing corruption and duplicitous behaviours in a small town is an effective comment on the wider and higher placed corruption that appears in news media regularly. As a few characters flip-flop in their intentions, Dangor shows the great confusion and desperation of people who turn to crime to make a living in a state with extremely high unemployment levels, but who are not committed to the crimes when their personal loyalties are tested.
This is the third book I've read in as many months about people navigating this period of South African history - the other two are memoirs, Sisonke Msimang's Always Another Country and Stephanie Kemp's Through an Unforgettable Storm. The varying circumstances of the main characters in each of these three books all tell part of the difficult story of living through the struggle against apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa from the late 1950s until now. While the characters had different backgrounds and lived in different countries during this period, the sense of lives being increasingly complex due to the external circumstances is strong.
Dangor's novel, like the memoirs, is a helpful and valuable contribution to understanding the convoluted history of which all these people, real or characters, have been part.
December 22, 2017
Passionate, loving chronicle of what it is to be a black South African family told mainly through the voices of women. While I loved the fact that it was right up to date, including responses to the Trump presidency - what I connected best with was the portion that took place during my own time of growing up under apartheid. Dangor captures exquisitely the enormous complexity of life's choices as his characters are wooed into - and react against - bantustans, the ANC underground, personal relationships and public activism and so much more.
He also does a great job of revealing the terrible fate of so many people militarised during the struggle through their membership of Self Defence Units (SDUs) in the townships - as he says, people were given guns and had a war to fight but they were not taught how to retain as much of their humanity as possible while doing the job of killing. And unlike the formal soldiers on both sides, they received no material or other support once peace was declared in 1994.
This book also makes me interested in reading Sol Plaatje's Mhudi to which this story pays homage.
I had some questions about the authenticity of the brashness this male writer attributes to women's sexuality in this story - but who am I to judge?
He also does a great job of revealing the terrible fate of so many people militarised during the struggle through their membership of Self Defence Units (SDUs) in the townships - as he says, people were given guns and had a war to fight but they were not taught how to retain as much of their humanity as possible while doing the job of killing. And unlike the formal soldiers on both sides, they received no material or other support once peace was declared in 1994.
This book also makes me interested in reading Sol Plaatje's Mhudi to which this story pays homage.
I had some questions about the authenticity of the brashness this male writer attributes to women's sexuality in this story - but who am I to judge?
January 31, 2021
Dangor bites off more than he can chew, & doesn't convincingly reconcile the disparate threads of the narrative. Changes in focaliser don't seem necessary. Perhaps the whole story could've been told by Dikeledi, the younger. Subject matter ranges from apartheid to Trump's America, in an unwieldy journey from the past into the present. A novel smaller in scope might've been more compelling.
May 27, 2026
I found his writing style to be very easy to read. I learnt a lot from the book, and I couldn’t say it better than someone else, “it is a helpful and valuable contribution to understanding the convoluted history of which all these people, real or characters, have been part. “ I’m so pleased I read this book, and I recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews