The Troubled Child

By Sithembele Isaac Xhegwana

The Troubled Child is a powerful novel that explores the collision of tradition, faith, and modernity in South Africa. When a young man leaves his rural homestead for the University of Cape Town, he carries with him the weight of ancestral expectations and the burden of refusing a cultural initiation rite. Torn between the communal grammar of Africa and the meritocratic demands of the West, he must navigate questions of belonging, identity, and faith in a world that o en demands erasure for acceptance. Through lyrical prose and intimate storytelling, Xhegwana captures the fear of the unknown, the ache of leaving home, and the fragile victories of finding one's place between two worlds. The Troubled Child is not just a story of exile and return-it is a meditation on resilience, listening, and the possibility of weaving old roots into new soil.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1779324332
• ISBN13: 9781779324337
• Release Date: April 2026
• Publisher: Mwanaka Media and Publishing
• Length: 180 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.8" x 8.3"