BOOK REVIEW

Book review
A Long Walk Home
By Naazneen Ayob
Reviewed By Zakiyyah Kolia

I’ve never been through apartheid but by reading this book, A Long Walk Home, it gave me a view of apartheid through a young boy’s eyes, Joseph Mackenzie, who lived through apartheid. He lived with his family in the township of Soweto during the old South Africa, not of what I know today.

Joseph Mackenzie tells us the story of him growing up with his mother and finding ways of supporting and protecting her. He just wants to tell people how he had to grow up in the rough times of apartheid and how it affected him.

Joseph has told a story of truth about apartheid and speaks of his experiences very clearly. Naazneen has sequenced the story in an excellent way for the reader to understand. It is also a great book in educating youngsters to understand apartheid.

As a ten year old boy living in the townships, life without his father was tough. Joseph seemed to have a low self esteem due to apartheid and this gives him a very serious character for a young man.

Apartheid was over in 1994 but the effects of it still lives on today like racism however this didn’t bring Joseph and many others down. They all overcame it in their own way and got help from those want to hear their stories.