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Child of the river / Irma Joubert ; translation: Else Silke.

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextLanguage: English Original language: Afrikaans Publisher: Nashville, Tennessee : Thomas Nelson, [2016]Copyright date: ©2016Description: xii, 404 pages ; 22 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9780718083106
  • 0718083105
Uniform titles:
  • Pérsomi. English
Subject(s): Genre/Form: Summary: "Persomi's dreams are much bigger than the world of poverty and deprivation that surround her in the Bushveld of the 1940s and 1950s in South Africa. Persomi is young, white and poor, born the middle child of illiterate sharecroppers on the prosperous Fourie farm. Persomi's world is extraordinarily small. She has never been to the local village and spends her days absorbed in the rhythms of the natural world around her. Her older brother, Gerbrand, is her lifeline and her connection to the outside world. When he leaves the farm to seek work in Johannesburg, Persomi's isolated world is blown wide open. But as her very small world falls apart, bigger dreams become open to her--dreams of an education, a profession, and of love. As Persomi navigates the changing world around her--the tragedies of WWII and the devastating racial strife of her homeland--she finally discovers who she truly is and where she belongs. A compelling coming of age story with an unlikely and utterly memorable heroine, Persomi's English language publication solidifies Irma Joubert's important place in the canon of inspirational historical fiction"-- Provided by publisher.Summary: In the Bushveld of South Africa the young, white and poor, the middle child of illiterate sharecroppers spends her days absorbed in the rhythms of the natural world around her. Persomi's older brother, Gerbrand, is her lifeline and her connection to the outside world. When he leaves the farm to seek work in Johannesburg, her small world falls apart-- and bigger dreams become open to her. The tragedies of WWII and the devastating racial strife of her homeland help Persomi discover who she truly is and where she belongs.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Dr. James Carlson Library Fiction Joubert, Irma Available 33111008561454
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library Fiction Joubert, Irma Available 33111008486603
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:



A timeless coming-of-age tale of heartbreak and triumph set in South Africa at the dawn of apartheid.

Persomi is young, white, and poor, born the middle child of illiterate sharecroppers on the prosperous Fourie farm in the South African Bushveld. Persomi's world is extraordinarily small. She has never been to the local village and spends her days absorbed in the rhythms of the natural world around her, escaping the brutality and squalor of her family home through the newspapers and books passed down to her from the main house and through her walks in the nearby mountains.

Persomi's close relationship with her older brother Gerbrand and her fragile friendship with Boelie Fourie--heir to the Fourie farm and fortune--are her lifeline and her only connection to the outside world. When Gerbrand leaves the farm to fight on the side of the Anglos in WWII and Boelie joins an underground network of Boer nationalists, Persomi's isolated world is blown wide open. But as her very small world falls apart, bigger dreams open to her--dreams of an education, a profession, a native country that values justice and equality, and of love. As Persomi navigates the changing landscape around her--the tragedies of war and the devastating racial strife of her homeland--she finally discovers who she truly is, where she belongs, and why her life--and every life--matters.

The English language publication of Child of the River solidifies Irma Joubert as a unique and powerful voice in historical fiction.

"Filled with lessons of grace and love, Child of the River is a story that reminds us all to hold steady through life's most fragile hours." --Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of Perennials

"Persomi's dreams are much bigger than the world of poverty and deprivation that surround her in the Bushveld of the 1940s and 1950s in South Africa. Persomi is young, white and poor, born the middle child of illiterate sharecroppers on the prosperous Fourie farm. Persomi's world is extraordinarily small. She has never been to the local village and spends her days absorbed in the rhythms of the natural world around her. Her older brother, Gerbrand, is her lifeline and her connection to the outside world. When he leaves the farm to seek work in Johannesburg, Persomi's isolated world is blown wide open. But as her very small world falls apart, bigger dreams become open to her--dreams of an education, a profession, and of love. As Persomi navigates the changing world around her--the tragedies of WWII and the devastating racial strife of her homeland--she finally discovers who she truly is and where she belongs. A compelling coming of age story with an unlikely and utterly memorable heroine, Persomi's English language publication solidifies Irma Joubert's important place in the canon of inspirational historical fiction"-- Provided by publisher.

In the Bushveld of South Africa the young, white and poor, the middle child of illiterate sharecroppers spends her days absorbed in the rhythms of the natural world around her. Persomi's older brother, Gerbrand, is her lifeline and her connection to the outside world. When he leaves the farm to seek work in Johannesburg, her small world falls apart-- and bigger dreams become open to her. The tragedies of WWII and the devastating racial strife of her homeland help Persomi discover who she truly is and where she belongs.

Includes glossary of terms used and definitions.

Includes discussion questions.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 393-394).

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