From the back:

"Bessie Head, one of Africa's best-known writers, was born in South Africa but spent much of her life in Botswana. - - -

Margaret Cadmore, an orphaned Masarwa girl, goes to teach in the remote village of Dilepe in Botswana, where her own people are kept as slaves. Her presence polarises a community which does not see Masarwa people as human, and condemns her to the lonely life on an outcast."

This was a pleasant surprise, a beautiful yet somehow sorrowful story of love and racial prejudice. A quick read, too, as there are only 123 pages :)

I think this review sums up many of my thoughts rather aptly:

http://reviews.rebeccareid.com/maru-by-bessie-head/

On its way to Dancesports who picked it from my All About Africa VBB. Enjoy!

Book has arrived safely in sunny Australia. Thank you for the beautifully picture of snow covered Finland, I don't think I'd try to ride a bike in all that snow!!!

Thank you for sending me this one annimanni, a beautiful story and I was glad to have a quick read after a few longer books.

I decided to send this one on as a little extra belated birthday surprise, along with another a choice from the south east asian vbb.

Thank you so much, Dancesports, for the VBB book and the other goodies too!

This is a quick, but very interesting read. First I was slightly irritated by the structure - the first chapter is the outcome of the book, only then it is described how things lead there. It's mainly about prejudice, and Bessie Head has a great way of describing social ostracising, how each group looks down on another one - until the Masarwa: "There is no one they can still turn to and say, 'At least I am not a ––'. One of the main protagonists, the Masarwa woman Margaret, could have easily passed as a 'coloured' and so avoided severe discrimination, but declined to do so. Bessie Head herself is the child of a wealthy white South African woman and a black servant when such relationships were illegal in South Africa.

Travelling along with a VBB book.

Thank you very much for this RABCK ApoloniaX, I will read it as part of my 666 challenge (read 6 books from 6 different country's covering 6 continents).

This was an interesting story, although I got slightly confused with the number of characters. I enjoyed the interaction between the two women, however the male one upmanship got a bit annoying.

It was intersting to see that a moral story about racism was so sexist, but that was obviously an issue the author didn't take offence with. The fact the main hero was hugely manipulative of all around him made him a hero to dislike. This is not a love story where the women have any say in the situation...

This is on the wish list of Esme-Weatherwax, with whom I am meeting tonight. So I shall take this book to along and give it to them.