What do you think?
Rate this book
A Conspiracy of Mothers
From a bold new voice in literary fiction comes a compelling story of three mothers whose lives intersect during a generation-defining period in South Africa’s history.
The year is 1994, and South Africa is in political turmoil as its first democratic election looms. Against a backdrop of apartheid and racial violence, traumatized artist Yolanda Petersen returns from the Appalachian foothills to the land of her youth at the behest of her mother. While there Yolanda longs to reconnect with her estranged daughter, Ingrid, the product of an illegal mixed-race affair with a white man.
But Ingrid is missing, and as Yolanda quickly discovers, she isn’t the only woman in Cape Town desperate to protect her own. Ingrid’s very existence is proof of a white man’s crime, and that man’s mother will do anything—even kill—to ensure the truth remains buried.
An evocative debut novel set during a defining period in history, A Conspiracy of Mothers tells a gripping story of love and betrayal from multiple perspectives while deftly balancing the painful legacy of apartheid with the trials of motherhood.
The year is 1994, and South Africa is in political turmoil as its first democratic election looms. Against a backdrop of apartheid and racial violence, traumatized artist Yolanda Petersen returns from the Appalachian foothills to the land of her youth at the behest of her mother. While there Yolanda longs to reconnect with her estranged daughter, Ingrid, the product of an illegal mixed-race affair with a white man.
But Ingrid is missing, and as Yolanda quickly discovers, she isn’t the only woman in Cape Town desperate to protect her own. Ingrid’s very existence is proof of a white man’s crime, and that man’s mother will do anything—even kill—to ensure the truth remains buried.
An evocative debut novel set during a defining period in history, A Conspiracy of Mothers tells a gripping story of love and betrayal from multiple perspectives while deftly balancing the painful legacy of apartheid with the trials of motherhood.
351 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2021
1363 people are currently reading
6368 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 269 reviews
December 12, 2021
This extremely moving novel examines the debilitating effects of apartheid from an intensely personal perspective.The story focuses on three generations of women in the same family. Their saga spans continents and lays bare the consequences of organizing a society by racial classifications.
In the book’s foreword, the author explains the South African racial classifications and offers some pointed observations.
“ This clinical act of classification was devastating and far reaching. Families, homes, communities and individuals were torn apart, as this law and the rest of ‘grand apartheid’s ‘ legislation impacted what it meant to be a human being.The consequences of this continue as aftershocks in South African society today.”
The unfolding stories of grandmother Rachel, daughter Yolanda and granddaughter Ingrid illustrate how this oppressive system affects the psyche and personal choices of individuals in every level of society. The first character we meet is Yolanda. She is living in a small rural town in Virginia and has not returned home to Cape Town in eighteen years.Her self imposed absence from South Africa stems from the aftermath of an illegal liaison that produced her daughter Ingrid. One night, in a somnolent state, Yolanda hears her mother’s voice calling across continents asking her to come home.After much deliberation and a degree of trepidation, Yolanda returns to South Africa when the country is on the cusp of apartheid’s end and Mandela’s incipient election.
Her return marks the beginning of a physical and spiritual journey that engulfs all three women. Their journey forces them to confront the traumas, shibboleths and inconsistencies created by a society that defines individuals by degree of melanin. The narrative shifts between each of the women, their family members and past and present loved ones. We observe the range of responses that people adopt to define their reality in this country. Some of the oppressed try to mirror the behavior of their oppressors. Others connect to their tribal and spiritual roots. Some rebel against the system. Interestingly, some of the ruling minority also feel constricted by this peculiar institution and can only feel free by vicarious association and identification with the oppressed.There are also disturbing depictions of violence, often gender based, that are a consequence of this repressive system.
This novel is a layered and nuanced portrait of a country embarking on a new era. The book is beautifully written and has strands of maternal love, spiritual connection and a touch of magic visions. The author has presented us with a sweeping vision of a society struggling with itself as it lurches forward in hopes of overcoming the difficulties of its past history.
In the book’s foreword, the author explains the South African racial classifications and offers some pointed observations.
“ This clinical act of classification was devastating and far reaching. Families, homes, communities and individuals were torn apart, as this law and the rest of ‘grand apartheid’s ‘ legislation impacted what it meant to be a human being.The consequences of this continue as aftershocks in South African society today.”
The unfolding stories of grandmother Rachel, daughter Yolanda and granddaughter Ingrid illustrate how this oppressive system affects the psyche and personal choices of individuals in every level of society. The first character we meet is Yolanda. She is living in a small rural town in Virginia and has not returned home to Cape Town in eighteen years.Her self imposed absence from South Africa stems from the aftermath of an illegal liaison that produced her daughter Ingrid. One night, in a somnolent state, Yolanda hears her mother’s voice calling across continents asking her to come home.After much deliberation and a degree of trepidation, Yolanda returns to South Africa when the country is on the cusp of apartheid’s end and Mandela’s incipient election.
Her return marks the beginning of a physical and spiritual journey that engulfs all three women. Their journey forces them to confront the traumas, shibboleths and inconsistencies created by a society that defines individuals by degree of melanin. The narrative shifts between each of the women, their family members and past and present loved ones. We observe the range of responses that people adopt to define their reality in this country. Some of the oppressed try to mirror the behavior of their oppressors. Others connect to their tribal and spiritual roots. Some rebel against the system. Interestingly, some of the ruling minority also feel constricted by this peculiar institution and can only feel free by vicarious association and identification with the oppressed.There are also disturbing depictions of violence, often gender based, that are a consequence of this repressive system.
This novel is a layered and nuanced portrait of a country embarking on a new era. The book is beautifully written and has strands of maternal love, spiritual connection and a touch of magic visions. The author has presented us with a sweeping vision of a society struggling with itself as it lurches forward in hopes of overcoming the difficulties of its past history.
October 5, 2021
First, I need to disclose, I read this as an advanced reading copy.
A Conspiracy of Mothers is Colleen van Niekerk's debut novel, which I promised myself to savour slowly.
I ended up reading it fast, hungering for what came next, for the insights, for the pain, for the views and smells of Africa and to reach the resolution. (I promise to read it slowly next time, and there will be a next time!)
This novel is a tour de force. Set in and around Cape Town as Apartheid was ending, it is a story of love, incredible injustice, with a touch of magic thrown in to amaze you. The characters are so real, I found a need to hug some and slap others during the conflict of Black separation. Several points of view are used to the full here to enable the reader to grasp the differences between Black and white.
Readers unfamiliar with Apartheid will learn much and be shocked as the story races along. (I'm refraining here from giving away too much.)
Van Niekerk's style is bold, lyrical at times, and heart-wrenching. Her language is fresh and beautiful to read — I found this to be true throughout the novel and compelled me along.
I highly recommend A Conspiracy of Mothers, which is both literary and mainstream in type. But you'll have to excuse me now as I'm about to start reading it again, slowly this time.
Brava, Colleen!!
A Conspiracy of Mothers is Colleen van Niekerk's debut novel, which I promised myself to savour slowly.
I ended up reading it fast, hungering for what came next, for the insights, for the pain, for the views and smells of Africa and to reach the resolution. (I promise to read it slowly next time, and there will be a next time!)
This novel is a tour de force. Set in and around Cape Town as Apartheid was ending, it is a story of love, incredible injustice, with a touch of magic thrown in to amaze you. The characters are so real, I found a need to hug some and slap others during the conflict of Black separation. Several points of view are used to the full here to enable the reader to grasp the differences between Black and white.
Readers unfamiliar with Apartheid will learn much and be shocked as the story races along. (I'm refraining here from giving away too much.)
Van Niekerk's style is bold, lyrical at times, and heart-wrenching. Her language is fresh and beautiful to read — I found this to be true throughout the novel and compelled me along.
I highly recommend A Conspiracy of Mothers, which is both literary and mainstream in type. But you'll have to excuse me now as I'm about to start reading it again, slowly this time.
Brava, Colleen!!
September 1, 2021
To be a mother is to be connected and intertwined with your children—for life. A Conspiracy of Mothers navigates this connection beautifully, laying raw the love and the complications that arise from these relationships over multiple generations and continents. Not only does the book explore these complicated personal relationships, but it also layers in the complexities of racial, cultural, and personal identity during a tenuous time in South Africa’s history – the end of apartheid and South Africa’s reckoning with its own identity. What at first glance is the story of mothers and daughters, is really the story of South Africa and its own connections and complexities. I would highly recommend this book and this author.
June 1, 2022
“People think pain moves in a straight line: you go through it, survive it, and then it’s over. That’s not how it works. The whole experience is circular, fluid. Over a month, a day, even a year, you can go through it all: reliving it, falling down, standing up, getting stuck on moments, staying on repeat. At some rare times, you even forget. But then you remember.”
3.5 stars. A moving novel about motherhood, set just after apartheid falls in South Africa, but with roots reaching back 20 years before that. An exploration of trauma, race relations, racism, misogyny and familial bonds. Really emotional and historically dense, with a lot of details about South African life and culture that aren't as well known as some others. We're following a lot of POVs, from the archetypal matriarch, to the prodigal daughter, to a bigoted emblem of the old guard, to the young spirited granddaughter, and more. There's an element of magical realism that I just felt so-so about; I'd have honestly been fine without it and IDK that the novel would have suffered for its loss. But that's my thought on a lot of magical realism when included in otherwise strictly realistic fiction, so grain of salt. The strength of this lies in the cast of characters, the themes, the straightforwardness with which its written.
There's an element to the storytelling that I really don't like, and unfortunately took me out of it a lot? Or rather, just sort of frustrated me? Since we're following so many POVs, we've obviously got information from all of them, things that certain characters know that others don't. And at a certain point, way too early in the novel IMO, it feels like the reader is in possession of so many facts, and we're just waiting for different characters to find out certain things/be given that information. And that's always kind of frustrating for me, waiting for characters to play catch up. It's never the way I want to see a story unfold. Very nitpicky, but it did sap my enjoyment. I also didn't completely love the way things turned out at the end. Some things were great; others... eh.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Kineta Kunutu, which I enjoyed, despite some hiccoughs here and there. I loved the different accents. There was a really interesting piece of near-historical fiction, with really lovely mother/daughter relationships at its core. Glad I checked it out.
Content warnings:
--
A soft DNF. I'm a couple chapters in and I do like the writing, but I also haven't picked the book up in more than a week because I'm just not in the mood for it. I'm sure I'll come back to it eventually.
December 2, 2022
This will probably be my guiltiest review of the year. Colleen van Kiekerk's debut novel is beautifully written and touches on many important topics in the on-going racism crisis. I want to give her every credit for trying to shine a lot on aspects of apartheid that aren't always discussed, magnifying hidden nuances that most of us don't even think about, and trying to educate the world with her urgent and heartbreaking story. All of that said, the book as a whole was kind of a mess for me.
There are a lot of characters, and it switches back and forth from different POVs in a way that feels jerky and unnatural. Much of the characters' dialogue, especially early on, felt like a textbook-education on apartheid (though this got better as the book progressed). The magical-realism aspects, which I normally enjoy by and large, in this case were confusing and oftentimes felt disconnected from the main story. In fact, a lot of the subplots felt disconnected for the majority of the book, and when they finally came together in the end, it was dissatisfying. The author attempts to wrap up her novel with a hopeful bow, but it ends up all being a bit too convenient, especially considering the rest of the book was a no-holds-barred look at the atrocities committed during and after apartheid. There was a grittiness throughout that I thought was important, and then suddenly things were kind of hunky-dory, which just didn't fit the theme.
I loved the message and the concept of this novel much more than actual execution. I will say, though, that I really hope van Niekerk writes more. Her prose and honest observations of the world are so strong. I have every expectation that as she grows and hones her craft, she will be a force to be reckoned with.
There are a lot of characters, and it switches back and forth from different POVs in a way that feels jerky and unnatural. Much of the characters' dialogue, especially early on, felt like a textbook-education on apartheid (though this got better as the book progressed). The magical-realism aspects, which I normally enjoy by and large, in this case were confusing and oftentimes felt disconnected from the main story. In fact, a lot of the subplots felt disconnected for the majority of the book, and when they finally came together in the end, it was dissatisfying. The author attempts to wrap up her novel with a hopeful bow, but it ends up all being a bit too convenient, especially considering the rest of the book was a no-holds-barred look at the atrocities committed during and after apartheid. There was a grittiness throughout that I thought was important, and then suddenly things were kind of hunky-dory, which just didn't fit the theme.
I loved the message and the concept of this novel much more than actual execution. I will say, though, that I really hope van Niekerk writes more. Her prose and honest observations of the world are so strong. I have every expectation that as she grows and hones her craft, she will be a force to be reckoned with.
September 8, 2021
Amazing
Growing up in the segregated south , little thought was ever given to the plight of our people on the African continent. Before we were designated as African Americans we were colored , Negro , Black and whatever descriptor that served to validate our humanness. It isn’t lost on me that the majority of African Americans under apartheid would be designated as “ coloured “
There are some books that remain with you long after the last word is read . This , like “ The Color Purple “ , “ Beloved “ , and a few others will stay in my literary consciousness . I loved the mysticism . I loved the way the evocative way the writer depicted time and place . I liked the nonjudgmental way she drew her characters , allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions . It was about man’s inhumanity to man , retribution , familial fealty , societal constraints and lastly maternal love .
Growing up in the segregated south , little thought was ever given to the plight of our people on the African continent. Before we were designated as African Americans we were colored , Negro , Black and whatever descriptor that served to validate our humanness. It isn’t lost on me that the majority of African Americans under apartheid would be designated as “ coloured “
There are some books that remain with you long after the last word is read . This , like “ The Color Purple “ , “ Beloved “ , and a few others will stay in my literary consciousness . I loved the mysticism . I loved the way the evocative way the writer depicted time and place . I liked the nonjudgmental way she drew her characters , allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions . It was about man’s inhumanity to man , retribution , familial fealty , societal constraints and lastly maternal love .
January 18, 2024
01/17/2024 Mini-Review:
Mix of Audiobook & eBook
Currently on KU Read & Listen
Recommend Reading Print vs Audio
3 Stars for Narration by Kineta Kunutu
4 Stars for Beautiful Phrasing & Themes
-2 Stars for POV Changes
Overall, a beautiful tale of love against the crushing pressure of politics, racism, family ties and hard choices. It's a great story about how the thing you love can be the thing that tears you apart and gather up the parts to form something old & new. A nice debut for the author. I look forward to other books by her.
Narration:
I started with the audiobook and ended with the ebook.
Kineta Kunutu is a good narrator and has a nice voice. She gave a glimpse in tone for parts of the story told. However, I found her voice to conflict with some of the POVs and emotive rich words. The clash was uncomfortable and colored the reading.
POVs: Yolanda, Rachel, Stefan, Elsa, Ingrid, Kuiper, Jan
Audiobook has numbered chapters. Ebook has no numbers and POV names as chapter titles. Which goes to show that the audiobook creation and acceptance does not have to be 100% accurate between print and audio.
As a story I have taken in via audio and print, I am reminded about how an author may have to keep the audio production aspect in mind when they write a story. There must be a clear distinction of characters, time and setting to allow the reader delve into the book without confusion.
Poetic phrasing was consistent throughout the pages regardless of POV. It's pretty to hear and read, but blurred the lines between very different people. I think the story would have been more cohesive if it was told by Yolanda and Ingrid.
Mix of Audiobook & eBook
Currently on KU Read & Listen
Recommend Reading Print vs Audio
3 Stars for Narration by Kineta Kunutu
4 Stars for Beautiful Phrasing & Themes
-2 Stars for POV Changes
Overall, a beautiful tale of love against the crushing pressure of politics, racism, family ties and hard choices. It's a great story about how the thing you love can be the thing that tears you apart and gather up the parts to form something old & new. A nice debut for the author. I look forward to other books by her.
Narration:
I started with the audiobook and ended with the ebook.
Kineta Kunutu is a good narrator and has a nice voice. She gave a glimpse in tone for parts of the story told. However, I found her voice to conflict with some of the POVs and emotive rich words. The clash was uncomfortable and colored the reading.
POVs: Yolanda, Rachel, Stefan, Elsa, Ingrid, Kuiper, Jan
Audiobook has numbered chapters. Ebook has no numbers and POV names as chapter titles. Which goes to show that the audiobook creation and acceptance does not have to be 100% accurate between print and audio.
As a story I have taken in via audio and print, I am reminded about how an author may have to keep the audio production aspect in mind when they write a story. There must be a clear distinction of characters, time and setting to allow the reader delve into the book without confusion.
Poetic phrasing was consistent throughout the pages regardless of POV. It's pretty to hear and read, but blurred the lines between very different people. I think the story would have been more cohesive if it was told by Yolanda and Ingrid.
February 2, 2022
Set during a pivotal moment in South African history, A Conspiracy of Mothers is a personal story of the aftermath of a forbidden relationship that reaches far into the present. A tale of three generations of women — Ingrid, Yolanda, Rachel — which is deep, raw, and captivating.
Ingrid is struggling with navigating her world without a sense of belonging, where she fears her lack of roots means she’ll never be happy. Meanwhile, Yolanda regrets leaving Ingrid to be raised by her grandmother (and wonders if she’ll ever re-form a bond with her daughter). And Rachel, the grandmother, is nearing the end of her life, just when her country is changing around her.
I loved how the novel tackled this question at a personal level — How, when you’ve been wronged, do you move forward? It showed how the impact of that deep hurt spans across generations. I’d never thought deeply about the generation living before the end of apartheid and how they obviously couldn’t just sweep aside all the prejudices and hurt that had been instilled over generations. History doesn't disappear just because the law or politics changed, which left the need for thousands of individual reconciliations.
I’m not from Africa, but to me, the novel captured South Africa’s complexities, mixed heritage, and the lasting impact of a history of taught hatred. Themes and learning that are relevant to all of us wherever we live. I appreciated the sense of the land and mysticism, brought through the grandmother character, Rachel, which brings a touch of indigenous magic.
Read this book to understand humanity with all its faults and fears. An invitation to consider the everlasting, multi-generational damage of racism through a page-turning story, filled with credible complex characters, each with a strong backstory and their own wounds.
A powerful, pain-infused, uplifting, hopeful story that I hope more you'll read. The characters and author showed me that despite the hurt, despite being wronged, if we want to, we can still find the strength of family, joy, and hope.
Ingrid is struggling with navigating her world without a sense of belonging, where she fears her lack of roots means she’ll never be happy. Meanwhile, Yolanda regrets leaving Ingrid to be raised by her grandmother (and wonders if she’ll ever re-form a bond with her daughter). And Rachel, the grandmother, is nearing the end of her life, just when her country is changing around her.
I loved how the novel tackled this question at a personal level — How, when you’ve been wronged, do you move forward? It showed how the impact of that deep hurt spans across generations. I’d never thought deeply about the generation living before the end of apartheid and how they obviously couldn’t just sweep aside all the prejudices and hurt that had been instilled over generations. History doesn't disappear just because the law or politics changed, which left the need for thousands of individual reconciliations.
I’m not from Africa, but to me, the novel captured South Africa’s complexities, mixed heritage, and the lasting impact of a history of taught hatred. Themes and learning that are relevant to all of us wherever we live. I appreciated the sense of the land and mysticism, brought through the grandmother character, Rachel, which brings a touch of indigenous magic.
Read this book to understand humanity with all its faults and fears. An invitation to consider the everlasting, multi-generational damage of racism through a page-turning story, filled with credible complex characters, each with a strong backstory and their own wounds.
A powerful, pain-infused, uplifting, hopeful story that I hope more you'll read. The characters and author showed me that despite the hurt, despite being wronged, if we want to, we can still find the strength of family, joy, and hope.
August 19, 2022
This book takes place after apartheid and right before Mandela is elected as the first black president of South Africa. It took awhile to get into it and the characters and the prose; it was slow. Eventually, the plot hits you with everything when the storylines start to intersect. You feel so many emotions as a reader for all the mothers and the children and the siblings involved. I learned so much about that time period from just regular people/rich people dealing with the changes, fighting, possible war, hope for change, and fear. By the end, I enjoyed this book very much. I saw a lot of similarities with today's world vs then in South Africa, specifically with how it relates to speeches/discussions after the Me Too movement and George Floyd's murder as certain privileges are threatened.
My issues with the book are the magic realism part, which I did love, but it was difficult to follow. Sometimes, I didn't know if it was real or in the "other world." And I didn't understand the centaur part.
I do recommend this book, but the book is deep and with strong emotions. There are a lot of things happening in this book that are not pleasant to read.
My issues with the book are the magic realism part, which I did love, but it was difficult to follow. Sometimes, I didn't know if it was real or in the "other world." And I didn't understand the centaur part.
I do recommend this book, but the book is deep and with strong emotions. There are a lot of things happening in this book that are not pleasant to read.
April 30, 2023
Beautifully Written
The writer has a wonderful vocabulary that allows the powerful emotions to come through. Enjoyable Read but I didn't care for the mythology in the old woman's story. Perhaps I cheat myself for thinking this way.
The writer has a wonderful vocabulary that allows the powerful emotions to come through. Enjoyable Read but I didn't care for the mythology in the old woman's story. Perhaps I cheat myself for thinking this way.
Want to read
October 25, 2021Also an Oct. 2021 First Reads selection.
September 30, 2024
* somewhere between a 3 and 4 ✨
November 22, 2024
This novel is set in South Africa during the time just before and after Nelson Mandela’s election as President. It recounts the heartbreak of one family who, over three generations, was torn apart by the complex layers of racism which prevailed at that time. It is a powerful and moving story.
September 17, 2021
Interesting read about South Africa's landscape, different people, and its politics in the '90s. The racism that existed was challenging to read about, and I'm not a fan of magical realism—however, all in all, an entertaining read.
December 27, 2022
This book had me at the mention of South Africa and while I was apprehensive about what I’d find inside the covers, given what I know about Apartheid, I simply had to read it.
The novel opens with Yolanda Peterson, who is in the US but relives the trauma from an incident that took in her youth. Her mother’s entreaty for her to come home starts Yolanda on a journey that will bring her face to face with the daughter, and the unresolved parts of her history she left behind.
Meanwhile, in South Africa her daughter, Ingrid, discovers the mother she’s been told is dead is very much alive. Both Yolanda and Ingrid are searching for different parts of the same whole. While Yolanda seeks her missing mother, Ingrid is looking for the father who committed a crime under Apartheid by having a relationship and child with her mother. In reading A Conspiracy of Mothers, the title of Trevor Noah’s book (Born A Crime, which I haven’t yet read) made sense.
The actions of Yolanda’s mother and that of Ingrid’s father collide in a way that makes this story a page-turner. Both mothers will go to any lengths to protect their children and when the climax comes, several persons suffer.
A Conspiracy of Mothers provides insightful social commentary and explores how different people deal with the same situations. Some are broken by, and comply with, the circumstances of the day. Others refuse to be oppressed and repressed by their challenges. At the core of this tale, the themes of parental and personal sacrifice are highlighted in several ways.
The supernatural element makes this tale all kinds of interesting and was woven throughout in such a way as to be credible, given Yolanda’s mother’s background and culture. I enjoyed the setting and vivid pictures painted, as well as the lyrical language used by the author of this debut novel.
The realities of life in South Africa were starkly drawn and the writer shone a light on the systematic creation of different layers of a society by colour. This stratification was even brought to life by some incidents in the supernatural scenes.
If I was inclined to read a book more than once, this would be one I’d choose to re-read. If you enjoy history, exploring family dynamics, and a well-written tale, check out A Conspiracy of Mothers.
The novel opens with Yolanda Peterson, who is in the US but relives the trauma from an incident that took in her youth. Her mother’s entreaty for her to come home starts Yolanda on a journey that will bring her face to face with the daughter, and the unresolved parts of her history she left behind.
Meanwhile, in South Africa her daughter, Ingrid, discovers the mother she’s been told is dead is very much alive. Both Yolanda and Ingrid are searching for different parts of the same whole. While Yolanda seeks her missing mother, Ingrid is looking for the father who committed a crime under Apartheid by having a relationship and child with her mother. In reading A Conspiracy of Mothers, the title of Trevor Noah’s book (Born A Crime, which I haven’t yet read) made sense.
The actions of Yolanda’s mother and that of Ingrid’s father collide in a way that makes this story a page-turner. Both mothers will go to any lengths to protect their children and when the climax comes, several persons suffer.
A Conspiracy of Mothers provides insightful social commentary and explores how different people deal with the same situations. Some are broken by, and comply with, the circumstances of the day. Others refuse to be oppressed and repressed by their challenges. At the core of this tale, the themes of parental and personal sacrifice are highlighted in several ways.
The supernatural element makes this tale all kinds of interesting and was woven throughout in such a way as to be credible, given Yolanda’s mother’s background and culture. I enjoyed the setting and vivid pictures painted, as well as the lyrical language used by the author of this debut novel.
The realities of life in South Africa were starkly drawn and the writer shone a light on the systematic creation of different layers of a society by colour. This stratification was even brought to life by some incidents in the supernatural scenes.
If I was inclined to read a book more than once, this would be one I’d choose to re-read. If you enjoy history, exploring family dynamics, and a well-written tale, check out A Conspiracy of Mothers.
October 20, 2021
I read this book as part of my quest to read a book written by an author from every country in the world. This author was born and grew up in South Africa.
This is Colleen van Niekerk's debut novel and she is an amazing writer - Her characters are so realistic and believable - she delves deeply into the personalities and feelings of the 3 women in this story: Rachel - the grandmother, Yolanda - her daughter, and Ingrid - Yolanda's daughter.
This story revolves around racism and the love, hatred, and fears between the Afrikaner's (white), coloreds (mixed-race), and the various black tribes (Xhosa and Zulu).
There is a great deal of magical realism in this book - passages that are described almost as dreams or fantasies. I felt some of them were a little too long. I understand their part in the story, but I thought they could be a little shorter.
This book is set in 1994 in South Africa, during a time of great transition. The citizens were getting ready to vote - South Africa's National Party government who had ruled the country since 1948 and had advocated the apartheid system for most of its history would soon yield to the African National Congress (ANC) who had been outlawed in South Africa since the 1950s for its opposition to apartheid.
I learned a great deal about Africa and South Africa specifically. It was eye-opening to me. I've always known about apartheid, but I never stopped to wonder why there are so many white people in South Africa. It all began in November 1497, when Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama (remember him from school?!) rounded the southern tip of Africa, going East to open up a trading route between Europe and Asian countries.
The Dutch East India Company decided to establish a permanent settlement at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652. They imported slaves from Indonesia. It is this mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Indonesians that form the genealogical origins of today's white Africans.
In the late 1700's, England began establishing colonies in South Africa, mostly to protect their trade routes around the Cape. This brought in a continued influx of Europeans to South Africa.
This is Colleen van Niekerk's debut novel and she is an amazing writer - Her characters are so realistic and believable - she delves deeply into the personalities and feelings of the 3 women in this story: Rachel - the grandmother, Yolanda - her daughter, and Ingrid - Yolanda's daughter.
This story revolves around racism and the love, hatred, and fears between the Afrikaner's (white), coloreds (mixed-race), and the various black tribes (Xhosa and Zulu).
There is a great deal of magical realism in this book - passages that are described almost as dreams or fantasies. I felt some of them were a little too long. I understand their part in the story, but I thought they could be a little shorter.
This book is set in 1994 in South Africa, during a time of great transition. The citizens were getting ready to vote - South Africa's National Party government who had ruled the country since 1948 and had advocated the apartheid system for most of its history would soon yield to the African National Congress (ANC) who had been outlawed in South Africa since the 1950s for its opposition to apartheid.
I learned a great deal about Africa and South Africa specifically. It was eye-opening to me. I've always known about apartheid, but I never stopped to wonder why there are so many white people in South Africa. It all began in November 1497, when Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama (remember him from school?!) rounded the southern tip of Africa, going East to open up a trading route between Europe and Asian countries.
The Dutch East India Company decided to establish a permanent settlement at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652. They imported slaves from Indonesia. It is this mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Indonesians that form the genealogical origins of today's white Africans.
In the late 1700's, England began establishing colonies in South Africa, mostly to protect their trade routes around the Cape. This brought in a continued influx of Europeans to South Africa.
September 13, 2021
A Conspiracy of Mothers by Colleen Van Niekerk was my Kindle First Read selection for September 2021...
This book was breathtaking in its artistry and stunningly powerful in its messages about race, division, love, and motherhood. While I had heard the term "apartheid" mentioned in reference to South Africa before, A Conspiracy of Mothers is the first book I've read on the subject. This story has opened my eyes to a world of violent racial subjugation and human rights violations that I had no clue took place during my own lifetime. Knowing this now, I'm sure that the racial violence and political turmoil resulting from apartheid legislation must still have strong implications on modern South African society today and it's something I'm very interested in learning more about.
There's something so special about picking up a book and feeling a powerful hunger for more knowledge come roaring to life within me. It's one of the millions of reasons that reading is life. I know I'll be seeking out more books about apartheid in the future. I also know that none of them will be as gorgeous as this one was.
This book was breathtaking in its artistry and stunningly powerful in its messages about race, division, love, and motherhood. While I had heard the term "apartheid" mentioned in reference to South Africa before, A Conspiracy of Mothers is the first book I've read on the subject. This story has opened my eyes to a world of violent racial subjugation and human rights violations that I had no clue took place during my own lifetime. Knowing this now, I'm sure that the racial violence and political turmoil resulting from apartheid legislation must still have strong implications on modern South African society today and it's something I'm very interested in learning more about.
There's something so special about picking up a book and feeling a powerful hunger for more knowledge come roaring to life within me. It's one of the millions of reasons that reading is life. I know I'll be seeking out more books about apartheid in the future. I also know that none of them will be as gorgeous as this one was.
August 28, 2022
I had such a hard time getting through this book and putting together what exactly I didn't like about it. There was some nice writing here and there, but the attempts at weighty, meaningful observations and feelings were often bogged down by the prose. I liked the plot and setting, but something about the pacing was off. It was so slow in the middle and then all of a sudden the book was at its climax. The end was tied up well enough though. I like the ideas of the characters but didn't much like them; they were so broody and self-involved despite their reaching out to each other.
I especially did not like most of the chapters involving Rachel and her disappearance/very symbolism-laden death/becoming some animal spirit. It was confusing at first but then felt overdone once I realized it was old magic at play.
I especially did not like most of the chapters involving Rachel and her disappearance/very symbolism-laden death/becoming some animal spirit. It was confusing at first but then felt overdone once I realized it was old magic at play.
Read
September 5, 2021My highest recommendation!
I very seldom believe that a new publication is perfect, given the weight of classic writing on the balance of the scale. I also hate to compare directly to other works. Yet, I will in this case. This is a fantastic novel rooted in the mystical tradition of Richard Bach's "Illusions" or "The Celestine Prophecy" and well set in the cultural backdrop of South Africa.
My limited experience with Africa includes working in Zimbabwe in 1979., not enough to be an expert by any means, but an area of personal interest. This book is so well done, undoubtedly a testament to the strength of support personnel including editors.
I very seldom believe that a new publication is perfect, given the weight of classic writing on the balance of the scale. I also hate to compare directly to other works. Yet, I will in this case. This is a fantastic novel rooted in the mystical tradition of Richard Bach's "Illusions" or "The Celestine Prophecy" and well set in the cultural backdrop of South Africa.
My limited experience with Africa includes working in Zimbabwe in 1979., not enough to be an expert by any means, but an area of personal interest. This book is so well done, undoubtedly a testament to the strength of support personnel including editors.
March 3, 2023
Wow! What a beautiful and moving story told from the perspective of 3 mothers, a daughter and a father. This book covers so many things. Love, death, grief, rape, finding yourself and more. Part is set against the backdrop of racism during apartheid and the other part is leading up to the election of Nelson Mandela.
March 1, 2023
An excellent family drama wrapped in the sociopolitical climate of South Africa in the 1990s. This book was interesting from beginning to end, and though I wasn't expecting them, the speculative elements worked for me.
A good read overall that I would definitely recommend.
A good read overall that I would definitely recommend.
March 14, 2022
Beautifully written, I picked this book up intrigued by the title and excited at the prospect of reading a book set in South Africa about mothers love.
The setting was educational and well-described. South Africa in the early 1990s, right as apartheid is ending and all the segregated ethnicities have to reckon with prejudices, fear and politics in a new age and governement for South Africa.
I learned a lot, I had no idea things were separated as intensely as they were. “Blacks” “colored” and “white” were three categories kept from each other by law under apartheid times, and deep pain and prejudice was born there.
That aspect of the story kept me reading, but the rest was disappointing. The “mothers love” piece of the story left me wanting. So much selfishness and self discovery under the guise of love. It rang very hollow for me from a relational standpoint. There are many complex relationships in the book, I kept waiting for one to redeem in a way I would enjoy and was almost universally disappointed.
It makes me want to continue to read about South Africa, probably with nonfiction next time.
The setting was educational and well-described. South Africa in the early 1990s, right as apartheid is ending and all the segregated ethnicities have to reckon with prejudices, fear and politics in a new age and governement for South Africa.
I learned a lot, I had no idea things were separated as intensely as they were. “Blacks” “colored” and “white” were three categories kept from each other by law under apartheid times, and deep pain and prejudice was born there.
That aspect of the story kept me reading, but the rest was disappointing. The “mothers love” piece of the story left me wanting. So much selfishness and self discovery under the guise of love. It rang very hollow for me from a relational standpoint. There are many complex relationships in the book, I kept waiting for one to redeem in a way I would enjoy and was almost universally disappointed.
It makes me want to continue to read about South Africa, probably with nonfiction next time.
February 27, 2022
This book tells a story of apartheid told through the lens of mothers who were each affected in their own way. The book was well written with interesting characters and a compelling story line. There are four main characters who are all women with men in supporting roles. Their paths cross in different ways and each wants desperately to protect her child. There were parts of the book that had a more spiritualistic element and these were a little harder for me to relate to. It was interesting to read a story of racism that was not set in the United States.
October 31, 2021
Mesmerizing, heartbreaking, uplifting
It was a joy and privilege to spend these hours in South Africa with this author. They reveal such a depth of compassion, forgiveness, understanding and courage in this broken world ... These characters will all stay with me for a long time.
It was a joy and privilege to spend these hours in South Africa with this author. They reveal such a depth of compassion, forgiveness, understanding and courage in this broken world ... These characters will all stay with me for a long time.
January 31, 2024
While this is a novel, it describes the horrific pressure put upon all people during Apartheid in South Africa very well.A story of love and identity, and the hate that tries to destroy both. Make sure to read the Author's Note at the front.
October 18, 2021
An amazing first novel
I learned a lot about the different social strata of this time in South Africa. Shocking and brutal. Good story that held together well but could have been tighter.
I learned a lot about the different social strata of this time in South Africa. Shocking and brutal. Good story that held together well but could have been tighter.
February 6, 2022
3.5 Stars. I’m finally admitting to myself that I’m not a big fan of magical realism.
Read
March 30, 2022I found this book to be quite interesting. It talked about 2 different mothers and what they will do to keep their family safe and protected. I would definitely recommend this book.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
November 26, 2023
Informative and important about the South African society. Lots of unexpected turns as the story builds.
November 16, 2021
Not what I expected, but better! A mystery of sorts with an indirect route to find conclusions, this was a colorful ride through someone else's head as she found herself in the chaos of South Africa's transition out of Apartheid.
This is a great companion book to Trevor Noah's BORN A CRIME.
This is a great companion book to Trevor Noah's BORN A CRIME.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 269 reviews