Touching the Lighthouse

by Jo-Anne Richards

The tale of two young women caught up in the radical politics of Cape Town in the 1980s. It is the story of their loves, of their almost reckless desire to be part of the process of change, of their ambiguous relationship with Maud, their black maid, and of the strains placed on their friendship.

249 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Amanda Woolley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having no previous knowledge of the unrest in South Africa during the 1980s and apartheid in general at first I wasn't really sure what this book was about. I also found some of the time jumping mid chapter from memories back to present time for the main character to be a bit confusing. The book was however well written and I wanted to continue reading to find out what happened next. I think it is important to educate ourselves and each other on things that have happened in the past which will hopefully never be repeated again, I would happily read more on this time period to gain a better understanding of it.

[Vivienne Varnfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

I lived in Cape Town in the 80s, I had moved from the Eastern Cape, if you’re not familiar with this time in South Africa then nothing in the book will make sense. I enjoyed the writing & the story, brought back a lot of sad memories of that time in SA. The writer describes Cape Town very well & also the dynamics of best friend relationships.

[Diane Brown]

Star rating 3.5
A slow moving and very descriptive book about a woman and her friend who stay in Cape Town. I read this book over two weeks because I am not used to such detailed and descriptive writing. But in the end I did get through it and I am glad I read the whole book.

It brings to life what life was like for a white woman and her friend in apartheid South Africa. I appreciated it because it does in a way show the detachment that many of that section of the population had for what was happening in the country. As such it reflects a truth of that time.

It does explore relationships and how each of the women were drawn to relationships depending on the state of their lives and feelings about themselves at the time. I could identify with some of the issues as a women even though the life experiences are very different

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this very slow and not very exciting - I'm sure a lot of the meanings were hidden but just too slow for me!