Rachel Willson-Broyles is the translator.

Nombeko Mayeki is an illiterate girl who decides to support herself by cleaning the latrines in her South African ghetto during the 60's, during the Apartheid years. She "convinces" a black man to teach her to write and read using the poetry books he has memorized to seduce women. To keep him apart, Nombeko uses scissors which may end encrusted in his legs if he tries to misbehave.

Nombeko learns and he ends up actually managing the latrine cleaning. He wants to leave Soweto, but when she finally gets to it, she gets run over by a moronic engineer. This engineer blames her for damaging his car, so she has to work as a maiden and cleaning lady for him for free. This engineer is beyond idiotic, so Nombeko has to step it up and build... an atomic bomb. Luckily, Nombeko will become friends of three Chinese girls who have faked Chinese pottery. This will also allow her to learn Chinese.

International events, social changes, politicians' behaviour are all mocked in this novel. I liked it.

Yesterday.