When morning comes / Arushi Raina.

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  • Additional Information
    • Abstract:
      Summary: This fictionalized account of a student uprising that began in Soweto, South Africa, on June 16, 1976, unfolds through the first-person narratives of four young adults from different backgrounds whose lives intersect. An African student, Zanele, secretly organizes the protest against the Afrikaans Medium Decree Act, which required the use of English and Afrikaans ("the language of the oppressors") in schools. Her apolitical friend Thabo heads a local gang, extorting money from an Indian store owner, whose daughter Meena, is sympathetic to the students. Meanwhile, Jack, a white Afrikaner, meets, befriends, and comes to love Zanele. Unlikely alliances develop and shift among the four protagonists, each of whom feels pressure from loved ones to conform to expectations.
    • Notes:
      Includes bibliographical references (page 232).
    • ISBN:
      9781896580692
      1896580696
      9781926890142
      1926890140
    • Accession Number:
      ocn941433267
      941433267
    • Accession Number:
      fay.530784

Reviews

Booklist Reviews 2016 December #2

South Africa's 1976 Soweto student uprising brought the bitterness and tragedy of the antiapartheid struggle onto the world stage. Raina's novel tells the story via multiple narrators who offer their own takes in alternating chapters: Zanele assumes a bold and dangerous activist role; Meena, daughter of an Indian shopkeeper, gets involved as an intermediary; Thabo, Zanele's neighborhood boyfriend and wannabe junior gangster watches helplessly as Zanele gets more deeply enmeshed in the political movement and falls for Jack, a privileged white teen smitten with her beauty and spirit. Class and race intersect at a pivotal moment in history as the compelling characters—a wide cross section of South Africans—offer their stories, and a day in the life of a country in crisis comes into focus. Suspense builds gradually to the day of the uprising, a surprise twist grabs the reader near the end, and action-movie excitement takes over when Zanele becomes a fugitive. A sophisticated political thriller that challenges readers and offers no pat endings. The appended historical note and glossary are essential. Copyright 2016 Booklist Reviews.

PW Reviews 2016 November #4

This fictionalized account of a student uprising that began in Soweto, South Africa, on June 16, 1976, unfolds through the first-person narratives of four young adults from different backgrounds whose lives intersect. An African student, Zanele, secretly organizes the protest against the Afrikaans Medium Decree Act, which required the use of English and Afrikaans ("the language of the oppressors") in schools. Her apolitical friend Thabo heads a local gang, extorting money from an Indian store owner, whose daughter Meena, is sympathetic to the students. Meanwhile, Jack, a white Afrikaner, meets, befriends, and comes to love Zanele. Unlikely alliances develop and shift among the four protagonists, each of whom feels pressure from loved ones to conform to expectations. Raina's story powerfully demonstrates the high stakes of the teenagers' choices while maintaining a bracing pace that builds steady tension. Each character's distinct voice contributes to a sense of imminent change; in Zanele's words, "Morning was coming, and it seemed as if I'd waited for this a long, long time—longer even than I'd been alive." A riveting and accomplished debut. Ages 14–up. (Feb.) Copyright 2016 Publisher Weekly.