Ubuntu

The title Ubuntu was explained midway into the book as the idea of the community being greater than each individual, which was held by traditional African societies. The book is a journey through the history of southern Africa with emphasis on the impact of white Dutch settlers on native peoples, especially the Bushman tribes.

It starts with accounts from the early 1800s after the settlers started arriving to appropriate the land and kill or enslave or drive off the native peoples. And it ends with accounts from the late 20th century with some independence and freedom won by countries of the region, including 1999 when majority rule finally was achieved in South Africa. In between are tales of conquest, intimidation and harassment by the whites, who interpreted the Bible to mean that black people were descended from Ham and so should be treated as unequal servants. There are tales of the Bushmen’s way of life and how they were driven further and further into harsh lands to escape massacres. There are several generations of white settlers and Bushmen.

Woven through the historical account is the story of Melanie, taken by the Bushmen as a baby after her parents were murdered on their farmhouse. She is raised by the Bushmen until she learns to speak their language, then was returned to her relations where she again learns another culture. This past with Bushmen was to affect her later in life in England, and it was by going back to reconcile with it that both she and her son Michael were able to put their life back in perspective.

May 28, 2015. Review initially written in 2005. Novel first published in 2002. Picture source: Yahoo (Images).