Crossing the River

by Fred Khumalo

Nozizwe and her mother, sister and aunt escape a group of rebels that have captured them to be sold into slavery. In their escape they end up in the clutches of human traffickers, imprisoned on a farm. Nozizwe escapes, pretending to be a boy, and makes her way to Johannesburg to become a street child. No one she approaches believes her fantastic tale and they ignore her appeals for help.

168 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2022

About the author

Fred Khumalo is the author of the novels Bitches’ Brew, which was a joint winner of the 2006 European Union Literary Award, and Seven Steps to Heaven. His memoir, Touch My Blood, was shortlisted for the Alan Paton Prize for Non-fiction in 2007, and his most recent book, #ZuptasMustFall and Other Rants, was published in 2016. His short fiction has appeared in various anthologies, literary journals and magazines. He holds a MA in Creative Writing from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where he lives.

Reviews

[Anschen Conradie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#CrossingTheRiver – Fred Khumalo
#Tafelberg

Nozizwe is 15 years old when forced to flee her native Zimbabwe with her elder sister, Nomfundo; mother, Perseverance; and her fiery aunt, Queenface. Her father had left for Johannesburg years ago (‘This Johannesburg and its voracious appetite – it seems to eat you up. Chew, chew. Then spit you out when you’ve lost your flavour.’ – 64), leaving them as easy prey for the brutal criminals masked as war veterans. After a desperate escape across the mighty Limpopo and a violent crocodile attack, Nozizwe and her relatives set foot in South Africa as illegal immigrants and are almost immediately confronted by the realities of xenophobia and human trafficking.

Their story unfolds through the eyes of Nozizwe, a strong young girl with a deep voice, used to physical abuse by her mother. Strong as she may be, she is still a child, longing for her country of origin: ‘The darkness here has a texture all its own. It’s solid. Like a wall.’ (39) She is an excellent narrator with a sharp eye for detail: ‘…other times the sun behaves in a most brutal manner. It emerges…No…It explodes into existence.’ (15) and an almost uncanny ability to verbalize experiences: ‘Sleep is like a fish. Just when she thinks she’s got it nailed, it slips out of her grasp.’ (60)

Although Perseverance was brave enough to fight a crocodile with her bare hands, it is the cunning Queenface that contributes most to Nozizwe’s budding wisdom and survival skills, teaching her emotional intelligence: ‘When you engage in a conversation, you are expressing hope. Hope that the statement you have just made will sink into the mind of the person you’re addressing.’ (75)

In spite of the vary dark subject matter, humor is not excluded. After witnessing a particularly disturbing scene, a character loses control over her bowels and another comments: ‘You know how much effort it takes me to expel an obstinate turd. But you shat yourself, just like that. Standing. Unbelievable.’ (124-125)

The author is a well-known journalist and author and has won, amongst others, the prestigious Alan Paton and Nadine Gordimer awards. This novel was shortlisted for the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature in 2021 and reveals the reality of migration of refugees in a narrative relevant to young adult readers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #Uitdieperdsebek NB-Uitgewers/Publishers

[Mr Pink Ink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crossing The River by Fred Khumalo is a gritty, fast-paced African fiction slash thriller slash drama. We follow the story of fifteen-year-old Nosizwe, and her female family (mother, aunt and sister), as she runs from her war-ridden country across the Limpopo river into the seeming safety and stability of South Africa; Johannesburg, to be precise.

Through this journey, Nosizwe has to disguise herself as a boy in order to be able to provide for them. Dealing with death, loss, xenophobia, racism, human trafficking and the pure animalistic nature of man; this is definitely gripping stuff.

Highly recommend!!

[Qoqanani Mkhwanazi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This pick was purely based on the author. Fred Khumalo is one of the best African historical fiction writers. Dance the Death Drill and The Longest March still remain one of my favorite historical fictional books. This book is a more current affairs fictional read for young adults (youth). It touches on the pertinent topics of illegal migration, human trafficking, poaching, street children, xenophobia, child molestation/rape (especially that of boys), and farm murders. These topics are covered through a story about Nozizwe, a young Zimbabwean girl who crosses the crocodile infested Zambezi River to South Africa, running away from war veterans who have taken away the farm on which her parents lives and worked on. We follow Nozizwe, as she poses as a boy, thanks to her deep voice and witness her being kidnapped by bandits after crossing the river. She manages to escape the bandits and makes her way to the city of gold, where she believes she had found safety in a church, unbeknownst to her the priest is suspected of dabbling in young boys. The young boys find safety in running the streets at night, she joins the boys, and her new life ensues. The story culminates in Nozizwe being reconciled with her aunt, whom she crossed the river with.

True to form, the book is well researched. I guess because it is a youth literature book, it pales in depth of topic seen in Fred Khumalo’s books. It covers topics that the young adults in society should be aware of and be talking about. These are introduced in a “friendly” manner. I do believe it’s one of those books that should be read as a family and the topics are discussed as a family.

[Mbali (flowahh_) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I realised that I was being too nice — this is a 1.5 at best omg

[Sipho Lukhele · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a rough ride this story has been! I do not think there are emotions that were spared in this story, which is very well told, and unpredictable. I have so much to say but I think it will not be possible without giving spoilers. However, this novel is for me an excellent read for all ages, especially to those who are xenophobic. I highly recommend it, especially since it is a quick read.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Maniki_021 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars . Could have been better, had the potential.