The 30th candle

by Angela Makholwa

“Ok, who is this guy? You said he’s not married, so if you’re knocked up, you have to tell who he is,” Linda insisted.Thirtieth birthdays loom… Skeletons come creeping out of closets… How will this birthday end? Linda has just cast off yet another lover, while Dikeledi can't seem to pin her fast-talking lawyer down to talk about marriage. Nolwazi has a secret – one she can't share even with her closest friends, while Sade has found the perfect man, and a new life that will shut out the horrors of her past forever. Or will it...? Linda, Dikeledi, Nolwazi and Sade are about to discover more with the wisdom that comes with being a year older. After all, they’re young, gifted and black in a booming new South Africa.Author of the popular thriller, Red Ink, Angela Makholwa turns her humour and skill for page-turning suspense to the escapades and sexual misadventures of modern women as they search for happiness – and hope for love.

Genres: Fiction

Paperback

First published July 1, 2009

Reviews

[Ntombezinhle Nzama · Rating 5 out of 5]

My attention was captured from start to finish! What a great start to my year! The story is about 4 friends (Linda, Dikeledi, Sade and Nolwazi) who have known each other most of their lives. As the story progresses we get to see that there are a lot of things happening in their individual lives that they dont want to share. Sooo much drama! I loved it! 1st read of the year!

[Fezeka Motsogi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in less than two days. I was concerned with how simple the writing is but as I got into the story I realized that this is a typical girl story and I decided that I am gonna continue reading it. I found some bits of the book to be cheesy, especially when almost everyone in the relationship got married. I love how the characters developed, I enjoyed seeing the colorful characters portrayed through the pages. The story is simple enough to be read as a high school set work. It felt like I was reading an upgrade of Sweet Valley High.

The book is funny, the book has sad moments and also seeing the different characters grow from young girls to thirty year olds who had to face up to their decisions. I enjoyed this book, it is the kind of book I would pass on to other ladies, I would most definitely recommend to other ladies to read.

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, more of a 3.5 than a 4 but very readable with 4 main female characters, set in South Africa 🇿🇦 about how their relationships twist and turn.

[Ancillar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is a thrilling fast paced read about love, friendship, adulthood and choices . 30th candle follows Linda, Dikeledi, Nolwazi and Sade who are pursuing love and success in the city of Gold (Johannesburg) and everyone knows life is hard we all need friendship. The 30th year ushers in a whole lot of mess that could tear a friendship from one waiting for the one, one hiding a terrible secret there seems to be enough drama in their lives.

I loved that it was an honest take on what it means to be 30 , to be a friend and to be self-assured. It's an ode of "I got you" to everyone enjoying their dirty 30s or on the brink.

Actually rating: 3.5

[Refiloe Nkadimeng ********** · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting wonderful well written book about the lifes of a young four women.

[Shireen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my word! What a fun, steamy, intriguing read! I could not stop turning pages!! Angela, your so talented!

[Gadifele · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read. Should be read by all young women around 30 years of age...

[Lesego · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read...beautiful I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to laugh cry and just enjoy the book. Well done on this one Angela...keep them coming you have my support!

[Gamelihle]

I just cant put this book down - the drama! I love it.

[Ruth Thiongo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've procrastinated this book from the beginning of the year, but I'm glad i gave it a chance to redeem from a very disappointing book. Would highly recommend

[Tumelo Motaung · Rating 3 out of 5]

"You go through life with these huge blinkers and a huge sign saying "I'm thirty, I'm terrified. Please come, anyone; come and rescue me 'cause I'm spoilt goods."
October saw over sixty women accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual abuse, setting off conversation all over the internet in the form of the hashtag #metoo. I, for one, spent days on end observing the scene; reading articles on sexual violence, testimonies from victims, watching as claims were rubbished, victims blamed, observing the silence of the male voice.
I found myself reading Angela Makholwa's The 30th Candle at this time. The book follows a group of four friends - Sade, Nolwazi, Linda, and Dikeledi over a period of three years from the year they all turn thirty. It is in this time that these women, who have been friends since varsity, make life-changing decisions that see them face-to-face with the male gaze, testing their friendship to the limit.
The book is 304 pages long, sprawling the narrative over 68 chapters, each covering the life of one of the women. Nolwazi, who is first to blow out the 30th candle, falls pregnant by a secret lover. Sade, who has had her fair share of sexual encounters in university, turns to the Lord and finds marriage. Linda breaks off her engagement from Lehumo, and Dikeledi's cheating boyfriend suddenly proposes after ten years of beating about the bush.
What in the world do you want? What if nobody else proposes? You are not as young as you used to be, you know?
I read the book in mild irritation, all the while conscious of the conversation going on around me. "I don't like the women's attitudes towards patriarchal discourse," this is what I told everyone who asked me about the book. I found it to portray the women to be weak and overly wanting of male affection, and thus blinded to the manipulation and abuse that followed.
The story takes a few interesting turns. My favourite being when Nolwazi - who works in the film industry, shoots a documentary on prostitutes for her television show, only for the main character, Dineo, to turn up dead a little while after. This part of the book kept me reading till the end, anxious to find out which one of the husbands had committed the crime. Although there are clues that point to the murderer, I was happy that Angela was not predictable in her telling.
More than anything, Angela writes a story of sisterhood. One of four intelligent, successful women who's lives are turned upside down by the very men they love, and how their friendship sees them through. It is a story of secrets kept and revealed, of tacit vows and obligations, one of empathy and forgiveness.

I would have liked to see Angela explore how children are affected by their parents separating. Although she dealt with it as painting Linda as a commitment-phobe because her father left her and her mother to live in France, I felt that she was oblivious to it with the rest of the women, who all do not end up with the fathers of their children.
What stood out for me in the sexual abuse conversation that is going on is the solidarity shown by women, the many posts that affirmed "I believe you," that sympathized, that wished strength for the other. I felt that this book could serve a similar purpose in challenging our socialization as women and saying "there are women out there who understand, women you can depend on to see you through, women you should hold on to."

[Mpho Bernadette · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a refreshing and captivating read!!! I absolutely could not do anything until I finished the book. It's like the South African version of Sex and the City. The author is a good writer but she is not so good at creating images for the reader. She mostly sticks to the story and as to the little details that make the character more of a person, they are quite lacking. For example, some of the places she was referring to, like Sakhumzi, could have been described better. Her style of writing is easy, laid back and the story flows fluidly to create a consolidated story. The novel has enough characters to keep you interested but not so much to loose the reader. It would be amazing if this book were to be turned into a TV series or movie. The characters are real women who have experienced life and I found that I identified with some of the feelings they were experiencing. Their pains and joys were all very much familiar to me. The author addressed a vast amount of troubles that young women in their 30's face. She also emphasis on the importance of having someone to confide in because most of the time, our secrets eat at us not because they are bad but because they are kept within us. I also realized that no one is perfect, we are all human and we will all keep making mistakes until we draw our last breaths. The important thing is to learn from and teach others of your mistakes. The lesson that I learner from the book us that in order for you to be happy, you need to live your life to your own terms and not conform to society's conditions. Be honest with what is right and what is wrong in your life, an only then will you experience complete freedom. I am definitely going to purchase more of Angela Makholwa's work. I was hooked from the very first page to the last page. I only stopped reading to get some sleep.

[Nkhensani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was glad to finally get to read an Angela Makholwa book. This one in particular has been just out of reach for me for some years -I guess now, with my own thirtieth birthday not so far away, I felt ready.

This a story about four friends on the brink of 30: they've had eventful lives up until now, but it seems the turn of this decade brings with it a lot of upheaval.
Secrets long-held burst into the centre of everyone's lives, leaving the women to ask themselves some very important questions. Loyalties are shaken and dreams are shattered. Romance blooms and perceptions - of the world, of each other and themselves - are shaped anew.

It's a truly South African book, peppered with references to familiar Johannesburg landmarks and clever comments about the state of South African society.

Each woman's storyline comes to a satisfying conclusion, a feat for any author juggling multiple perspectives in one book.

Dramatic, funny, witty and entertaining, this was an enjoyable read.

[Gemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better Than I Expected

It took me some time to be able to differentiate between each character and their storyline. Once I did that, I became really invested in the book. Each woman had so much going on. I was pleasantly surprised by how much drama was thrown in. I also enjoyed that the story occurred over a period of a few years. I loved their strong friend group dynamic. It was enjoyable to see them support each other. I could appreciate that it wasn’t all rosy. There was some scandalous drama going on between the friend group, too. I wasn’t expecting a murder mystery to be thrown into the mix. I figured out the villain, but I couldn’t wait to see how he’d be taken down. This was a very entertaining book. It was well written and had lots of substance.

[Smangele Belebesi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book shows the ‘power’ some women tend to give to men when it comes to relationships. How some women let societal pressure and age push them to letting men get away with otherwise unforgivable acts. How sometimes women lose themselves and who they are in order to ‘fit in’ and ‘fitting in’ it means appearing as if one has it together, as if there is a perfect balance between life, love, career and spirituality. I absolutely loved going on a journey with all these characters. Angela is a very talented story teller, can't wait to read another 1 of her books, hope she's written others. Must check that out

[Khensani]

I totally love the book, its a light reader and i have already recommended the book to my friends.

[Pp · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read, kept me up till the early hours of the morning.

[Zozo Mogoera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Should have read this before I turned 30.

[Moribula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it.

[Vuyo Gqola · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favourite authors.
I loved this book. Excellent read. Could not put it down.

[Nicky Ramarumo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoying the book so far.

[Jackie Mondi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, believable storytelling and the drama never ends.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union, for a gifted copy of this book.

Reading Challenge Prompt: bipoc author.

This read by Makholwa was a delightful surprise for me, as I had never read any of her work before. I enjoyed it so much that I will definitely seek out more of her books in the future. The story was well-written, and I found myself invested in the characters. The four female protagonists were unique, and their strengths and weaknesses were equally portrayed, creating a drama-filled tale that explored secrets, deceit, and the bonds of friendship. I was so engrossed in the story that I finished it within 24 hours, eager to discover how it would end. I was not disappointed! Despite the complexity of the plot, I found it to be a positive aspect of the book.

I was also impressed by how much I learned about South African communities from the book. Although I have never visited the country or have any connections there, I appreciated the author's attention to detail.

This is a re-release from the original publication in 2009. I have heard that there is a screen adaptation of this book, but I have not seen it yet. I plan to do some research on it and watch it soon. In the meantime, this read is highly recommended. This would also make a perfect book club read.

Release Date: 02-10-2023

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/30th-Candle-...

[Mrs.J.Richmond · Rating 3 out of 5]

The tale of four South African friends

I believe this book has been turned into a Netflix series. I can quite understand how it would fit the bill..It's almost like the book was written with this in mind.

The book is really a voyeuristic view of the lives of four young women, the ups and downs of their relationship and their other relationships with partners and family.

It was certainly interesting to read a book written by a South African about South Africans. The cultural differences were intriguing however in many ways their aspirations and careers are similar to any other young women. These women are all from fairly privileged families, so perhaps some of their struggles and beliefs will not resonate with everyone.

In some ways I saw this book as a bit of a soap iopera. Certainly the close scrutiny of the characters in their daily lives is a bit Days of Our Lives.

The writer is very skilled at moving the story along and weaving the characters' lives together..I found myself skipping a lot which is not a good sign..Some of it I found a bit tedious. Certainly there is a lot of insight provided into South African culture and for that reason alone worth reading.

[Lisa J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This was fun. The story follows the lives of four friends (Dikeledi, Linda, Sade, and Nolwazi) as each approaches her 30th birthday. We learn how they met and the ways they have continued to support each other through the years. We also learn that although they have chosen very different paths, they are all in search of love and marriage. This is where the story gets so deliciously messy. On the surface, the friends seem to have an enviable sisterhood of love and unending support but as the search for love takes center stage in each of their lives the sisterhood façade is broken and we find out there are secrets, regrets, underhandedness, and betrayal woven into their relationships.

The story keeps you engaged with jaw-dropping revelations, and shocking betrayals. The writing style and pacing made it a quick read. Throughout the story the author uses some urban South African words and phrases as would be appropriate for a story based in that region. These additions to the dialogue did not get in the way of understanding the story. The author includes a glossary at the end of the book which I didn’t need but I thought was a nice touch.

Trigger Warnings: physical violence, domestic Violence, BDSM, and murder

[Jacqueline Nyathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend starting a book with no expectations at all, because Angela Makholwa’s The 30th Candle was a really pleasant surprise. Although she is a renowned writer in this part of the world, this was my first Makholwa, and I’m glad I picked it up.

A group of four friends are about to turn 30. They’re successful women who’ve passed various milestones, or hope to, and they have all of the expectations you will remember (or have) around the big three-oh. What transpires for each of them isn’t what they imagined, necessarily; but this is a book with happy endings. And if you’re expecting fluff and steam—there’s some, but also trials and sadness, humour, warmth, and deeply human experiences.

The 30th Candle has been adapted, and there’s a film out on Netflix (Love, Sex, and 30 Candles) which I haven’t watched yet—will fix that this weekend. Hopefully it’s at least as good as the book. The edition I read is a revised one; the original novel came out in 2009, and this edition is updated for global readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon/Lake Union Publishing for a fun and engrossing diversion.

[Megz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 30th Candle was written fourteen years ago… and it shows.

A novel about four women - best friends - on the cusp of their thirtieth birthdays, presents an opportunity for identity and commiseration. Indeed, these four women - intelligent, witty young women of colour - present a spectrum of personalities that may well have been the reader’s good friends.

After a slow start, The 30th Candle picks up speed and, despite the relentless obsessions with brand names and appearances, becomes a very readable page turner. And yet, it never feels quite like the South Africa I know - or the peers I know.

The maidens find their knights ( or escape the ogres), and in the end their divergent paths all becomes similar again. First, there is the harmful rhetoric of “oh dear all the good men are gay” - and then the gay man isn’t ACTUALLY gay, anyway. Not to mention the good-looking exchange student whose strong queer undercurrents are conveniently left to dissipate.

Granted: not every novel about modern women of colour must be a social commentary, but if presented as a contemporary novel (“updated” as per the author’s note), it is perhaps not unreasonable to hope for an “updated” social milieu.

I’ll always appreciate Makholwa as a South African author, but The 30th Candle is just not my favourite of her works.

Thank you to Negalley and Amazon UK for the eARC.

[Jacqueline Nyathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend starting a book with no expectations at all, because Angela Makholwa’s The 30th Candle was a really pleasant surprise. Although she is a renowned writer in this part of the world, this was my first Makholwa, and I’m glad I picked it up.

Four friends are about to turn 30. They’re successful women who’ve passed various milestones, or hope to, and they have all of the expectations you will remember (or have) around the big three-oh. What transpires for each of them isn’t what they imagined, necessarily; but this is a book with happy endings. And if you’re expecting fluff and steam—there’s some, but also trials and sadness, humour, warmth, and deeply human experiences.

The 30th Candle has been adapted, and there’s a film out on Netflix (Love, Sex, and 30 Candles) which I haven’t watched yet—will fix that this weekend. Hopefully it’s at least as good as the book. The edition I read is a revised one; the original novel came out in 2009, and this edition is updated for global readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon/Lake Union Publishing for a fun and engrossing diversion.

[Nqobile Msiza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high expectations for this book since I thoroughly enjoyed Angela Makholwas' novel 'The Blessed Girl'.

The first few chapters posed a bit of a challenge since I found it difficult to connect with the characters due to the brevity of each narration. I often found myself confusing the characters and had to remind myself who was who. However, once I settled into the flow, I truly appreciated the storyline.

The story follows four friends approaching their thirties, a milestone they seem to dread because they believe it is the age by which life should be figured out and everything settled. What unfolds is a rollercoaster journey filled with confronting hidden secrets, facing past ghosts, and navigating betrayal and loyalty. Their friendship is tested in unexpected ways, making this an engaging and rewarding read.

[Makayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to win a Kindle copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway. This book honestly felt like whiplash because of all the twists and turns that it took. The characters got slightly confusing, and it felt like there was an excessive amount of them. This book reminded me insanely of a reality TV show, especially since the characters were really dramatic and turned on each other every two seconds. At several points in this book, I had to take a breather because the way these people acted towards each other was insane. It was extremely interesting though and I was entertained throughout. It was so crazy and scary that it was actually pretty good (if that makes sense?). It's like everything was going downhill but I couldn't bear to look away.