This book is about two, brave, black South African children, Naledi and Tiro, who courageously traveled 300km to Johannesburg (Jo’burg) to tell their mother that their little sister (Deneo) was very ill.

Naledi (13) and Tiro (9) live in a village mainly with their grandma and their younger sister, Deneo. Their mother works as a maid to a rich white family in Jo’burg and their father who had been gold miner, passed away from ill health.

Even though Naledi and Tiro were poor, they seemed protected enough to be clueless about the risks and dangers that black people faced outside of their village. As they set off on their journey, they were faced with many dangers. Each time they encountered a potential danger from a powerful white person, they met a kind black person who rescued them. For example, the young black boy at the orange farm helped them find food and shelter overnight on the road: the truck driver who gave them a lift 250km to Jo’burg and Grace, who helped them get on the right bus, find their mum’s address as well as offered them a place to stay in Jo’burg.

What was interesting to observe was that even though these kind people were strangers, they all immediately acted like family towards the children. I believe it’s because they felt connected to the same plight; that is, victims against one common enemy: apartheid.

The children eventually found their mum. They were surprised to see how she lived as a maid. They were also surprised to learn how much their mother knew about the brave students like Grace’s brother Dumi who had protested against the ugliness of apartheid. Dumi and a large group of young children/students some of whom had lost their lives, were fighting for freedom and for an education that did not only lead becoming servants.

When Naledi and Tiro finally brought their mum home from jo burg, their troubles weren’t immediately over. Their sister got sicker which exposed them to the wider injustice that poor black people experienced even in their home town.

I found this book very enlightening as it really me showed me the details of how racism works. i also liked that the lead characters though naive weren’t passive. Black people were shown to be kind, dignified, aware of the unfairness round them even if they were poor. i really liked the description of Dumi’s character and the 16 year old boy who was arrested on the streets for not having a pass: ‘he had fire in his eyes.”

However, what I didn’t like about the book were sad parts like children dying unnecessarily from poor health care. I also felt angry to learn of black people being treated so badly in their own country. I can’t imagine someone walking into my house, seizing all my toys, my food and forcing my family and I to become servants to them in my own home. To think this was allowed to happen immediately after the holocaust and WW11?

I learnt that this book was banned in South Africa when it was first released in 1985. I have added respect for Beverley Naidoo, the author, a white, South African of Jewish heritage who had the courage to draw from her past experience to shed light on the difficulties of black people during apartheid South Africa.

I would highly recommend this book to children between the ages 8-12 years who want to learn more about racism through the eyes of children.