A Blade of Grass : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: A stirring African story
Review: A new and upcoming African writer. DeSoto brought out a lively story about Africa. It portrayed the people through lively characters, and gave a vivid picture of the landscape. His insight into the human relationships that were prevalent in the era was perfect. The tragedies are relayed in a somber but heart strengthening way. DeSoto's picture of South African apartheid portrays the mixed emotions of the characters, of love, hate, sorrows, regrets and sufferings. He made it possible for anyone to relate to the story. I always like books about Africa since I want to get a good account of many of the untold stories about what happened during the last century of the continent's turbulent history. And in DeSoto's descriptions that are so evocative of the bush and the characters, I had a great insight.

Also recommended: DUSKLAND, DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE, CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY, THE USURPER AND OTHER STORIES, TRIPLE AGENT, DOUBLE CROSS

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Debut
Review: At times lyrical, this first novel of Lewis DeSoto begins with a great deal of potential. Here are two women who have lost--parents, husband. Here are two women in apartheid South Africa, one black and one white. DeSoto describes grief poignantly without being over the top, but he fails on two points: his dialogue is wooden and he often isn't as subtle as he could be, pointing out his lyricism to the reader too blatantly.

DeSoto has a solid start though--he will learn to develop characters through dialogue and create believable conversations. He will draw in the scenery without making obvious metaphors. After all, if he can create sorrow in such a fashion, he can create life.

A bit lengthy, this novel is still completely readable and worth the read. The chapters are short and despite my frustrations, I did have a hard time putting it down. There is an investment from the reader into these pages and I know DeSoto is a valuable author.

Rating:
Summary: Neither here nor there
Review: DeSoto's writing brings Africa alive ... both in landscape and in the human relationships that defined apartheid. The loss in this book is tremendous and continues to break your heart right up until the end. DeSoto's strength is in his descriptions of the land and in his characters. In the framework of South African apartheid, he describes the impact of both nature and nurture on how we develop our personal relationships in the world and the price we pay when we go against all we believe is true. The back drop of the story is the landscape of a disappearing Africa; the contours of the land are loved and revered and hated, at times, by the characters. DeSoto does an excellent job of describing the different views of the land - depending on which side of the apartheid line that you live.

A truly beautiful debut. I hope that DeSoto has many more books in him! I rarely give out five stars to any book but I think Mr. DeSoto's next one may deserve it.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful African voice
Review: DeSoto's writing brings Africa alive ... both in landscape and in the human relationships that defined apartheid. The loss in this book is tremendous and continues to break your heart right up until the end. DeSoto's strength is in his descriptions of the land and in his characters. In the framework of South African apartheid, he describes the impact of both nature and nurture on how we develop our personal relationships in the world and the price we pay when we go against all we believe is true. The back drop of the story is the landscape of a disappearing Africa; the contours of the land are loved and revered and hated, at times, by the characters. DeSoto does an excellent job of describing the different views of the land - depending on which side of the apartheid line that you live.

A truly beautiful debut. I hope that DeSoto has many more books in him! I rarely give out five stars to any book but I think Mr. DeSoto's next one may deserve it.

Rating:
Summary: A Complex Metaphoric Novel of Apartheid
Review: From the first words of this novel, the reader is propelled into the world of the inhabitants of a farm in South Africa on the eve of the increasingly oppressive laws prohibiting blacks from living in certain areas. Superbly well-plotted, the novel describes the complexity of relationships between blacks and whites during this critical historical time, and charts the reality of the effects of apartheid in the everyday lives of the characters, most particularly, the repression and violence that such a system engenders. Still, in the person of Tembi, there is enormous humanity and hope for the future, though the novel does not flinch from describing loss, pain, and violence. To me, the novel raises the important issue of how safe any home can be if it is erected on an edifice of inequity -- an issue that transcends what happened in South Africa. Throughout, the desire of each character for a meaningful, dignified life is artfully explored. And the land is delinated in such a way that it too becomes a character. I couldn't put this novel down.

Rating:
Summary: Ambitious but does not engage the reader
Review: The story revolves around on the relationship between two women, one white the other black, in South Africa during the times of the apartheid. I found the theme is extremely interesting and since several book clubs have featured "A Blade of Grass" as their main selection, I decided to read the book. To my disappointment I found myself tumbling along the pages, due to the far from efficient execution by the author. In most cases the descriptions DeSoto presents are rich and enlightening, but the dialogue lacks depth and interest.

Marit Laurens has just moved with her husband to the African countryside after the death of her parents. The newlywed couple bought a farm, named it Kudufontein, and set out to carve their own future. Marit is in charge of handling the accounts, correspondence, bills and wages, while her husband, Ben, runs all the other aspects related to the farm. Soon after the move, Marit starts to question the cleverness of this new enterprise, since she feels very lonely during the time Ben is out on the fields. Also, she is in fear of the war going on close by, on the country's border, where guerrillas are attacking farms to regain their God-given rights over the land.

As a way to find solace, Marit tries to establish a relationship with her maid, Grace, but is self-restricted by the racial barriers and customs she has observed and practiced all her life. When shortly afterwards Grace is killed in an accident, Marit starts to get closer to Tembi, Grace's daughter, and offers her the job as a maid. From this point on, several events develop, like the strengthening of apartheid and the reception of fatal news by Marit, which bring the two women closer together.

Lewis DeSoto scores high in his description of the effects of apartheid on people on both sides of the "conflict", and the story has value in showing how race should not be a barrier in human relationships and friendship. However, he loses the reader's interest in several instances during the story, making finishing the book more a chore than a real pleasure. I hope that he perfects his writing abilities and delivers a better polished novel next time, since he has good ideas for the plot and just needs to improve in the execution.

Rating:
Summary: Neither here nor there
Review: Though I found this book hard to put down, I felt it was lacking. It was not fast moving, yet it wasn't meant to be. The main character, Marit, did not change or grow much, and as the end of the book drew near I felt her fate was inevitable, yet I was unsure of the lesson to be learned from it. At the end I no longer felt anything for her. The dialogue could use some work, and the symbology of the land with life was a little too obvious; it was almost cheesy. Regardless, the novel held me because it had a layer of hope hidden under the surface. It reminded me of how helpless we really are and that sometimes hard work and dedication mean nothing in a world torn by war and injustice. I felt that the author captured these feelings very well.