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All Gomorrahs Are the Same
This epic tale is narrated through the eyes of three women.
Makhosi, who seems to be angry with the world and unable to find the language to make her mother, and sister understand her ‘anger’.
Duduzile, Makhosi’s mother. A working-class mother who feels herself lose touch with her daughter.
Nonhle, Makhosi’s younger sister, who watches her sister grow while the gap between her sister and mother widen and them continuously miss each other.
This story lets the reader into the very complicated generational conversations within black families on a varying a range of issues, womanhood, parenting, sexuality, sexual abuse and most importantly, mental health, addiction and loss.
Makhosi, who seems to be angry with the world and unable to find the language to make her mother, and sister understand her ‘anger’.
Duduzile, Makhosi’s mother. A working-class mother who feels herself lose touch with her daughter.
Nonhle, Makhosi’s younger sister, who watches her sister grow while the gap between her sister and mother widen and them continuously miss each other.
This story lets the reader into the very complicated generational conversations within black families on a varying a range of issues, womanhood, parenting, sexuality, sexual abuse and most importantly, mental health, addiction and loss.
- GenresFiction
262 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2021
10 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 10, 2021
Stunning debut!!!
I haven't had the perfect words to decipher the experience I had reading this book. No thoughts enough to speak on the women in this book actually.
I mean..
We have Makhosi, a girl who gradually becomes aware of the black and white world she lives in. Whose former white praising self we get to see dissolve with every reality of her blackness. And with trying to fit into the different moulds of classist society she finds herself forever on the verge of breakdown.
Dudu is a career woman, a mother and a wife. We learn through the perspectives of her daughters how she handles her roles. And from her we learn of her hopes and dreams for her loved ones.
Nonhle comes across as this generation of born frees who choose not to see the disparities around them. She is however wiser to everyone's demons and as such I enjoyed things from her perspective.
Aunt Nombulelo..we all know a Nombulelo. Goal driven, chooses not to get married or have kids and yet society is forever ready to pity her.
The men in this story are just broken canvases.
The book really gained from multiple perspective narratives. I really enjoyed seeing things from different perspectives and especially Nonhle's.
Thank you again @BlackBirdBooks for my #gifted copy
I haven't had the perfect words to decipher the experience I had reading this book. No thoughts enough to speak on the women in this book actually.
I mean..
We have Makhosi, a girl who gradually becomes aware of the black and white world she lives in. Whose former white praising self we get to see dissolve with every reality of her blackness. And with trying to fit into the different moulds of classist society she finds herself forever on the verge of breakdown.
Dudu is a career woman, a mother and a wife. We learn through the perspectives of her daughters how she handles her roles. And from her we learn of her hopes and dreams for her loved ones.
Nonhle comes across as this generation of born frees who choose not to see the disparities around them. She is however wiser to everyone's demons and as such I enjoyed things from her perspective.
Aunt Nombulelo..we all know a Nombulelo. Goal driven, chooses not to get married or have kids and yet society is forever ready to pity her.
The men in this story are just broken canvases.
The book really gained from multiple perspective narratives. I really enjoyed seeing things from different perspectives and especially Nonhle's.
Thank you again @BlackBirdBooks for my #gifted copy
June 15, 2021
An incredibly haunting tale which illustrates the precarity of life as a black woman. This book explores addiction, assault and sexuality in a tender way that reminds us that this themes continue to weave people together while simultaneously displacing and rupturing relationships.
July 5, 2021
A stunning inter-generational view into the relationships black women have with one another. I enjoyed Thenjiwe's writing just as much as I struggled alongside the characters as they navigated the difficulties of being a black woman defining herself in a modern world. Loved it. I hope she has more stories to share with us in her.
August 5, 2021
I have never felt so represented by a character like how Thenjiwe did with Makhosi. Brilliantly written.
August 8, 2021
I'm stunned. That is all that I can say. Maybe I need to sit down and process it all.
November 7, 2021
"The world that hurts us forgets to lick our wounds," she said and some would fast become septic hey. I am septic, I think i am septic, I need her to know it is not me, that it is beyond my control, that I am diseased and septic"
"we were used to Makhu leaving, its what she did, disappeared into cold night , returned on summer mornings as if she was always there, she would lay in bed debilated, she would eventually find her smile again and on happy mornings say her goodbyes again and promise to call more often. Home was her rehab. '
"we were used to Makhu leaving, its what she did, disappeared into cold night , returned on summer mornings as if she was always there, she would lay in bed debilated, she would eventually find her smile again and on happy mornings say her goodbyes again and promise to call more often. Home was her rehab. '
June 21, 2023
This book gave me so many feelings of nostalgia of growing up in SA, in my life town, visiting the village during school holidays and experiencing university for the first time. Thenjiwe captured that so beautifully and maneuvered through themes such as sexuality, family dynamics and mental health in a way that felt so realistic and relatable. Beautiful debut. A lot of Zulu, but I loved the authenticity and fortunately I could follow contextually! Just google or ask a friend!
Can’t wait to see more from this author :)
Can’t wait to see more from this author :)
December 8, 2021
This was an easy to read book, well written and it’s story quite familiar. I loved everything about it, however I was rather expecting more by the end of the book. I do also wish the characters had more depth. All in all a very good debut novel from Thenjiwe.
May 25, 2022
Painful and eye-opening. I wish it were longer to answer all my questions. Thank you Thenjiwe Mswane for pouring all you did into this story. I don't think beautiful is the right adjective for it
January 27, 2022
All Gomorrahs Are The Same by Thenjiwe Mswane
"We did not bury my daughter." Striking. Devastating. Moving. It is on this note that Mswane carries us into the story told through the perspectives of three women - Makhosazane, the main character who is struggling to negotiate her existence in this frightening world and all the complicated relationships in it; Duduzile, Makhosazane's mother, who is battling to understand her daughter while navigating work, family and marriage;and Nonhle, Makhosazane's sibling, who observes the growing distance between parent and child, mother and daughter, and the struggle between both women to find each other and the strain this has on their relationship.
This story explores various themes and issues. These vary from parenthood, childhood, womanhood, through sexuality, sexual abuse, religion, identity and escapism, mental health, to addiction and grief. Thenjiwe handles all these difficult topics with amazing tenderness and care.
Interestingly, I had no favorite characters in this book. I found that the multiple perspectives in this book made the characters more enriched and their situation(s) more layered and multifaceted. I think it is easier to favour a particular character if that character and/or their situation is read in a singular way, from a limited perspective. The way Mswane writes the characters from multiple angles and perspectives, voices and views, makes for an incredibly dynamic reading experience. While Makhosi was not my favorite, she was, undoubtedly, a relatable character for me, the object of both my frustration and compassion. I have seen interesting characters written before but not with such emotional intensity as Mswane does with the characters in this book, particularly Makhosi. She writes:
..."The world that hurts us forgets to lick our wounds," she said...
The result is emotionally captivating characters which provide a relatable experience, one that is personal and simply human.
"Does the ocean know where echoes go? Does the ocean know that there is never a new Jerusalem, just same old Gomorrahs? "
There's certainly no doubt that Mswane's All Gomorrahs Are The Same is one of my best reads of 2021. What I appreciate most about the book is the beauty of the writing, so clean and hearfelt: "We were used to Makhu leaving. It's what she did, disappeared into cold nights. Returned on summer mornings as if she was always there. Sometimes, often, she would make her way back home on dry winter evenings ngathi uhlanzwe ulwandlwe. She would lay in bed, debilitated.... She would eventually find her smile again and on happy mornings say her goodbyes again and promise to call more often....
Home was her rehab. "
The beauty of the writing is in the purpose - love. Everything feels so intentional. The story so authentic and grounded in truth. It does not feel superficial or forced. Just easy and true, beautiful and sweet. It was quite refreshing to read this novel. Immensely affirming.
Thenjiwe Mswane delivers, with stunning execution and skillful craftsmanship, an affirming and captivating debut novel. All Gomorrahs Are The Same is a successful labour of love 'for people who look like me.' This is the book to read. This one is definitely for you!
"We did not bury my daughter." Striking. Devastating. Moving. It is on this note that Mswane carries us into the story told through the perspectives of three women - Makhosazane, the main character who is struggling to negotiate her existence in this frightening world and all the complicated relationships in it; Duduzile, Makhosazane's mother, who is battling to understand her daughter while navigating work, family and marriage;and Nonhle, Makhosazane's sibling, who observes the growing distance between parent and child, mother and daughter, and the struggle between both women to find each other and the strain this has on their relationship.
This story explores various themes and issues. These vary from parenthood, childhood, womanhood, through sexuality, sexual abuse, religion, identity and escapism, mental health, to addiction and grief. Thenjiwe handles all these difficult topics with amazing tenderness and care.
Interestingly, I had no favorite characters in this book. I found that the multiple perspectives in this book made the characters more enriched and their situation(s) more layered and multifaceted. I think it is easier to favour a particular character if that character and/or their situation is read in a singular way, from a limited perspective. The way Mswane writes the characters from multiple angles and perspectives, voices and views, makes for an incredibly dynamic reading experience. While Makhosi was not my favorite, she was, undoubtedly, a relatable character for me, the object of both my frustration and compassion. I have seen interesting characters written before but not with such emotional intensity as Mswane does with the characters in this book, particularly Makhosi. She writes:
..."The world that hurts us forgets to lick our wounds," she said...
The result is emotionally captivating characters which provide a relatable experience, one that is personal and simply human.
"Does the ocean know where echoes go? Does the ocean know that there is never a new Jerusalem, just same old Gomorrahs? "
There's certainly no doubt that Mswane's All Gomorrahs Are The Same is one of my best reads of 2021. What I appreciate most about the book is the beauty of the writing, so clean and hearfelt: "We were used to Makhu leaving. It's what she did, disappeared into cold nights. Returned on summer mornings as if she was always there. Sometimes, often, she would make her way back home on dry winter evenings ngathi uhlanzwe ulwandlwe. She would lay in bed, debilitated.... She would eventually find her smile again and on happy mornings say her goodbyes again and promise to call more often....
Home was her rehab. "
The beauty of the writing is in the purpose - love. Everything feels so intentional. The story so authentic and grounded in truth. It does not feel superficial or forced. Just easy and true, beautiful and sweet. It was quite refreshing to read this novel. Immensely affirming.
Thenjiwe Mswane delivers, with stunning execution and skillful craftsmanship, an affirming and captivating debut novel. All Gomorrahs Are The Same is a successful labour of love 'for people who look like me.' This is the book to read. This one is definitely for you!
April 8, 2024
Excellent debut and flawless. I adore authors who occasionally utilize their native tongues in the books since it gives the books a homely/sense of belonging atmosphere. Some parts are written in IsiZulu. Makhosi, Dudu, and Nonhle, the characters the novel follows, serve as the first-person narrators. We learn about their struggles and true selves as the book follows their life adventures.
You will be able to relate to the book in many different ways because of how familiar the story is with the people, their situations, and their way of life. I can't help but wonder if Makhosi came to Nonhle's grad or what happened to her, Thenjiwe ithini intp sisi? I love this book so much
I totally agree all gomorrahs are the same.
You will be able to relate to the book in many different ways because of how familiar the story is with the people, their situations, and their way of life. I can't help but wonder if Makhosi came to Nonhle's grad or what happened to her, Thenjiwe ithini intp sisi? I love this book so much
I totally agree all gomorrahs are the same.
Read
April 24, 2023Alright
The timeline of this book, living and growing up in South Africa in the nineties right up to the present day, the rural locations where grandparents still live, the nguni culture and way of life, the changing language and cultural landscape, the music and slang of each era, are so familiar to me and made the experiences of this family very relatable. If the author wished for me to feel anxious and scared for Makhosazane, they achieved it! I felt tired on behalf of Dudu and frustrated on behalf of Nonhle. Simple writing conveying intense emotions and heavy occurrences. All in all, a tough but necessary and great read!
The timeline of this book, living and growing up in South Africa in the nineties right up to the present day, the rural locations where grandparents still live, the nguni culture and way of life, the changing language and cultural landscape, the music and slang of each era, are so familiar to me and made the experiences of this family very relatable. If the author wished for me to feel anxious and scared for Makhosazane, they achieved it! I felt tired on behalf of Dudu and frustrated on behalf of Nonhle. Simple writing conveying intense emotions and heavy occurrences. All in all, a tough but necessary and great read!
August 23, 2022
I finished this months ago and I’m still processing the ending, so maybe fair to say this is a hauntingly good debut. I loved the experience of reading this, especially the familiarity of the characters and their circumstances. It was an affirming experience. I also appreciated how the book deals with contradictions of black life.
October 30, 2022
Man this book, this book was beautiful. The authors rent was clearly due when they wrote this!
I was half the time frustrated but I am definitely the better for having have read it. It’s stretched my empathy.
I was half the time frustrated but I am definitely the better for having have read it. It’s stretched my empathy.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews