Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

irma joubert

A captivating historical: Review of Child of the River by Irma Joubert

Author Irma Joubert got my attention with her debut English-translated novel The Girl From the Train. (Not to be confused with that more famous book/movie Girl ON the Train.) Joubert’s books spotlight South Africa’s role in world events, like World War II.

child-of-the-riverThis book, Child of the River, encompasses some World War II history but focuses more on events leading up to apartheid. It is the story of one girl, Persomi, who grows up poor and white on a wealthy farm where her family are sharecroppers. Her brother fights in World War II and her friendship with the neighbor boy, Boelie, is tested when he joins an underground nationalist movement.

When Persomi is given opportunities to further her education, her world expands and she becomes a vocal proponent of justice among her friends and neighbors. She is on a lifelong search for her real father, and she is tragically in love with someone close to her.

Joubert’s writing and storytelling are beautiful and captivating. I knew little about the beginnings of apartheid and felt like I learned a little bit about that era of South African history through the eyes of Persomi. Joubert says her stories are based on true situations, which I love even more.

My only complaint is that the ending felt abrupt after so much buildup. And I won’t spoil that here. It’s a lovely piece of fiction, and an important work that reminds us of how devastating segregation laws are to communities.

While I did receive a free copy of the book from BookLook Bloggers, my review reflects my honest opinion.

Also, stay tuned. I have an extra copy of this book to give away after the holidays.

A surprising novel from start to finish: Review of The Girl from the Train by Irma Joubert

Sometimes I think if I’ve read one World War 2 novel, I’ve read them all. (And I’ve read a lot of World War 2 fiction. I should make a list for you, if that’s a genre you enjoy.)

And sometimes I read a World War 2 novel that surprises me. And while The Girl from the Train by Irma Joubert (not to be confused with the wildly popular mainstream novel The Girl on the Train) starts during World War 2, it reaches years beyond to illustrate the effects of war on a particular girl.

girl from the trainI didn’t know this book or author existed before the book arrived in my mailbox. (I received a free copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my review.) But this is one of those times that I’m glad to receive a book that wasn’t on my radar. It’s worth taking note of.

The author presents a World War 2 story unlike any I’ve ever read. (And this book has been translated into English and is an international bestseller before it has released in the States.) She takes us on a journey with a young German girl with Jewish blood who escapes a train bound for the concentration camps in Poland. She is found by a Polish resistance member who takes her to his family’s farm to be cared for.

Thus begins the intertwined lives of Gretl and Jakob and the journey that spans almost 15 years and two continents. Gretl is eventually adopted by a family in South Africa where she lives with her secrets as she grows into a woman. Jakob’s opposition to his country’s Communist rule forces him to flee. Through the years they cling to the memory of each other. Until the improbable happens.

That’s all I’ll say so I don’t ruin the surprise.

From the setting to the storyline to the writing, I enjoyed this book as a whole.

You can look for this book at Target this month, and I don’t think you’ll be sorry for letting this story into your life.

GFT quote