Matters of Life and Death

By Lesego Malepe and Ph.D. Malepe, Lesego

Matters Of Live And Death is the story of one family's struggles under Apartheid in 1963. When their seventeen-year-old son Tiro is arrested, the Maru family is thrust into the whirlwind of politics.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1585711241
• ISBN13: 9781585711246
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Genesis Pr Inc
• Length: 243 Pages
• Weight: 1.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 1.0" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

Evil Uncoiled

In MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH, Dr. Lesego Malepe takes us back in time to the beginning of the end of apartheid. The Dutch and English colonized South Africa in the seventeenth century, but by 1963 the Boers had taken oppression to unbelievable heights of outrage. Black South Africans were foreigners in their own land - required to carry passes at all times and jailed for disagreeing with a government in which they had no representation. The Maru family has been fortunate. Although they live in a village haunted by the specter of Mamogashwa, a mythical monster that drowns black children in the river, their lives are better than many. Edward is a professor at a university and his wife, Evelyn, is a teacher. The Maru children are following in their parents' footsteps and attend boarding schools, but their world is turned upside down when their brother, Tiro, only seventeen, is arrested at school and charged with sabotage and attempting to overthrow the government. Tiro and his co-conspirators' fictional trial mirrors the infamous Rivonia Trial of 1963-64 in Pretoria in which a number of defendants were accused of similar crimes, including a lawyer and activist named Nelson Mandela. The trial takes a toll on the entire family, but it especially impacts the Marus' only daughter, Neo. She must draw on the strength and wisdom of her mother and grandmother as she comes of age in a very volatile environment. In the end, Neo leaves South Africa, but returns many years later, triumphant in ways that her brothers only dreamed. Malepe effectively uses Mamogashwa, a giant snake that is actually a white woman, as a symbol of apartheid. She draws a convincing parallel between Mamogashwa's evils and the horrible iniquity of apartheid, destroying black youth at will. MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH is powerful and patriotic. The Marus' story will bring perspective to how families struggled on a daily basis under apartheid and engender a new respect for the sacrifices of millions of black South Africans. Reviewed by Kim Anderson Ray of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Loved this book!

To my understanding, while much has been written, as well there should be, about the great warriors against Apartheid in South Africa,little exploration has been done of the effect of this dastardly system on those not in jail or in the headlines. Ms. Malepee has used incredible writing skill to make a middle-aged white American male (yours truly) know how the fears and worry a teenage black girl coming of age would feel as she slowly comes to realize the security of her family means nothing to a demonic social system and she watches helplessly as that system tramples people she loves. Though there is danger, sadness and drama in this book it is also poignant and ironic. I loved every page of this book. It is definitely a book that every American (particularly young) should read before they study any political system but especially of South Africa. I can't wait for her next book. DJC.

Wonderful novel

Matters of Life and Death is a wonderful novel written by a South African.The story vividly describes a priviledged South African family and its struggles against apartheid. The female characters of the story while not playing a dominat role are prominet and make sthe story line flow. Koko the grandmother, Evelyn the mother, and Neo the daughter/sister, also help to web this tory. It is full of suspens,e, humor, and sadnness.It is an easy read and not the typical apartheid story. The situations seem real and one can certainly identify with each of the characters. Themales in the story are strong men with a real sense of manhood andAfrican identity. The women too are strong, not feminist but assertive and making this greta. THIS IS A MUST READ YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT THE BOOK DOWN AND WILL REMEMBER THE LINES FOR EVER.

The terrifying South Africa of Mamogashwa

If you want to see, smell, and feel the atmosphere of apartheit South Africa with a black South African's consciousness, read this novel. The narrator begins her story with the Betswana legend of Mamogashwa,a snake who deceives her prey by taking on the upper body of a beautiful white woman; her predatory snake body lies below. As we proceed through the novel, we appreciate the compellingness of this metaphor, not only for the indigenous people who feared their brutal colonizers, but also for us in the U.S., who saw our own brand of apartheit and continue to see its lingering scars today. The author writes with intelligence and unusual imagery. My only criticism is that there are frequent comma splices and some typos in the manuscript; I hope they will be corrected in a second printing of this valuable novel.

Well Done!

Well done! A touching portrait of one family struggling to survive amidst the gut-wrenching turmoil created by the politically motivated prosecution of their young male child. Goes to the core of the kind of devastation wreaked upon families by apartheid. Definitely a must-read!