Ten-year-old Robin lives in Johannesburg with her parents in the 1970s; her dad is a boss in the mine. Forty-nine-year-old Beauty lives in a rural village in the Bantu homelands, raising her sons after her husband died working in the mines. When the Soweto Uprising takes place, Robin's parents are left dead, and Beauty's daughter is missing. In the aftermath, Beauty travels to Johannesburg to search for her missing daughter and ends up hired by Robin's aunt to watch her while the aunt works.

It was so fascinating to read about apartheid-era South Africa from two such different points of view. I enjoyed both the parts from Robin's and Beauty's points of view. This was a fantastic debut novel. The writing was phenomenal, and I felt so many emotions while reading this book. My only complaints would be that there were a couple of scenarios Robin got herself into that seemed kind of implausible and the fact that the book's ending seemed rush. The ending did give a hint that there could be a sequel in the future, and I hope there will be!

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book.

What an amazing book that highlights the many different aspects of how apartheid affects both black and white people in Africa. I loved the two perspectives that took us through this story. Robin, a young white girl, who lost her parents in a very brutal way is shipped off to the city to her aunt's home to live a new life. Beauty, a black teacher in the country, comes to the city to find her daughter that was to be attending school, but instead gets caught up in the movement to end apartheid.

The way these two characters weave in and out of each other's life experiences was the perfect seesaw. I loved that they were seeing life through each other's eyes and both taught the other lessons that would help them see their life in a new way.

I hope to read more by this author and see more characters in more situations.

Although not that far back in history, this book was great to read and chat about in my historical fiction book club.

Really enjoyed this book! The story was beautifully written and the characters were so "knowable". As the book progressed, I really felt as if I knew each of the characters. The relationship between Beauty and Robin was so touching. For being a debut novel, this was excellent!! Would definitely recommend this to others!

Outstanding and heartbreaking narrative of apartheid in 1976 Johannesburg - completely unfiltered racism, homophobia and anti-Semitism are displayed and analyzed through the eyes of a shattered white 10-year-old girl and a black mother desperately searching for her daughter. This was in no way an easy read, but it was an incredibly fast read for being such a deep and lengthy story. Highly recommend.

Robin and Beauty. Robin is 10 years old and she is quite a curious little girl. She loves her parents and her twin sister Cat, but when tragedy strikes and she loses both her parents in one fell swoop, her world will be turned upside down. Beauty is a mother and a teacher in a remote village in South Africa. She has just received a letter from her brother that her daughter, Nomsa is in trouble. Beauty tries to get to Nomsa as quickly as she can, but will she be able to make it before it's too late? In both of their struggles these two are brought together to be a strength for the other.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Putnam books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Robin is white and Beauty is black. Its the late 70's in South Africa. Apartheid is rampant and Nelson Mandala has just been arrested for trying to secure freedom and equality for his people. Robin's father is a mine boss and he doesn't treat black people very well, thinking they are all far beneath him. Beauty is an educated black woman which is very rare to see at this time. This is a story of love that goes beyond the color of ones skin, to just the human nature of us all. We want to love and to be loved in return.

This book didn't immediately grab my attention. It starts of sad and keeps getting sadder. You have hope for the two of these ladies that they will be able to accomplish their goals and survive, but many times that seems as if it's impossible. I really enjoyed this book and one that I highly recommend. It's an important book to read at this day and time when we look so much to find the differences that can divide us, we need to find the similarities that can unite us.

I honestly could tell by the writing of the first 2 chapters that it wouldn't be a good fit for our box and had to put it down. I may read it again in the future!

"If people didn’t come in the right colors, how would we know who to be scared of?"

Hum If You Don’t Know the Words took place in 1970s Johannesburg, South Africa, during Apartheid rule. When nine-year-old Robin Conrad’s parents are tragically killed, she is sent to live with her aunt who, though loves her niece dearly, chooses to keep her job as a flight attendant. In her absence, Beauty Mbali, a Xhosa woman from a rural village, cares for Robin as she searches for her own daughter after the Soweto Uprising. Told through alternating perspectives, both Robin and Beauty find in the other what they desperately craved – love, acceptance, security, and family.

It’s very hard to put into words exactly how beautiful this book was (which is probably why I’ve been sitting on this review for the past few weeks). I loved both character’s perspectives about their lives and commentaries on race, family, and their desire to be happy.

Young Robin was so innocent and naïve, yet so willing to help others. She was curious about the world and didn’t always realize the privilege she was born with. It was interesting to see the forces of nature versus nurture when it came to her views on racism: namely, her parents had always hinted at the differences between the two races – whites and blacks – so, as a young and impressionable girl, those thoughts became ingrained in her subconsciousness. However, when under the care of her Aunt Edith and Beauty, she began to see the world a little differently:

"Besides, no matter how much I studied the bathroom and the cups and plates, I couldn’t see anything different about them after Beauty had used them. It seemed they were in no way tarnished or tainted by her touch. It was confusing because my mother had been so adamant about Mabel never using our things that I was sure she dirtied them in a way that could never be cleaned."

Beauty, on the other hand, was both strong and determined in her quest to find her daughter who went missing after the Soweto Uprising. Although she did not agree with her daughter’s view that a violent overthrow of the government was the way to take power away from the white minority, she loved her daughter and only wanted to see her safely home. On the way, she meets Robin and forms a relationship with the girl filled with curiosity and grows to love and care for her.

“Fear is not a weakness, you know.”
“What?”
“You do not need to shout at your sister because she is afraid. Fear is what makes us human and it is in overcoming fear that we show our strength.”
“Brave people don’t get scared.”
“I do not agree with you. I think that brave people do get scared and what makes them strong is admitting their weakness and learning to accept it while still carrying on regardless.”

Hum If You Don’t Know the Words was a powerful story about hope and redemption, about triumph and overcoming fear, and about two people from seemingly different walks of life learning to love each other like family.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP (Putnam) for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.

The thing I enjoyed most while reading this book was the perspective of Robin, a young white girl dealing with the repercussions of arpartheid, and beauty, an intelligent black woman, looking to find her daughter who had become involved in the uprising against prejudice and hate. Robin and. Beauty were the stars of this story and while I hoped for a little bit more at the end, I was satisfied that I could fill in the details for myself, hope to read more by this author I’m the future.

It’s already October but I’ve found another favorite. Hum If You Don’t Know The Words will definitely make my Best Of 2017 list and it’s already one of those books I know I will keep recommending to everyone. I devoured this beautiful novel in less than two days and I highlighted many quotes and dialogues, which is always a great sign. I haven’t felt this way since I read The Trouble With Goats and Sheep, which, incidentally, has a similar main character, which must be part of the reason why I love them both.

I was recommended this book by two of my favorite bloggers, Renee and Susie. Like them, I was attracted to this story because of the comparisons to two of my favorites: The Help & The Secret Life of Bees. And yes, I can see the resemblance, especially when it comes to female friendship and racism (although the stories are obviously really different). I’m happy to say that Hum If You Don’t Know The Words deeply moved me and left a lasting impression too. I won’t forget about this novel.

This is the story of two women: Robin Conrad, a nine-year-old white girl, and Beauty Mbali, a black woman searching for her daughter. These two characters have apparently nothing in common, but their lives will connect in a wonderful way. Most of the reviews I read praised Beauty’s narration and I agree that hers was a heartbreaking and engaging story. I admired her courage and determination. But I also fell in love with Robin’s perspective (and I admit I totally didn’t see that first “twist” coming). I get that she acted too mature for her age, but I’ve realized I don’t mind that when reading fiction, as long as it helps with the story. And yes, I’m fully aware that the last part of the story wasn’t realistic at all, but I was enjoying the book so much that it didn’t even bother me. I deeply enjoyed reading about Robin’s relationship with Cat, her aunt Edith (whom, despite her flaws, I really liked!), and, of course, Beauty and her Jewish neighbour.

What I liked the most about Hum If You Don’t Know The Words was that both women showed us two different perspectives of the same world. By following Beauty’s journey, we learn about students protests and racial conflicts and we also get a glimpse of how the world used to treat black women. Beauty’s difficult relationship with her daughter Nomsa was also key in understanding how everything worked back then. How could she possibly come to terms with her daughter’s decisions? On the other hand, Robin’s story was more focused on grief, innocence and it shed light on a different kind of prejudice as well: homosexuality in the 70s South Africa.

One thing that I found extremely interesting was the portrayal of Robin’s parents. They were clearly racists but the author didn’t try to turn them into “villains”; in fact, they were really good with Robin -especially her father-. Like with Lightning Men, I find it so shocking that people could behave that way and discrimination wasn’t even unusual. Even Edith, who clearly prides herself on being modern and tolerant, has a very disturbing scene that made me feel quite ashamed.

As you can see, I could talk about this book for ages, but I don’t want to spoil the experience for you. Hum If You Don’t Know The Words is a wonderful exploration of grief, loss, tolerance, friendship and family and it helped me learn a lot about the Apartheid and South Africa. I wish all books I read made me feel this way.

P.S; Not that it’s important, but this is probably also my favorite book title of the year.

P.S 2: I was so happy when Rodriguez was mentioned! I love him and the fact that he was so popular in South Africa.

Thank you for this wonderful book! It is a timely reminder that we can all love one another despite the colour of your skin and the political situation that may be happening around you. It is a story of Robin and how her life changed one evening during Apartheid in south Africa.

It is a story of love, loss and growing stronger. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

A novel told in two voices that come together to make one story- I found the book sometimes intense and sometimes agonising because I truly sometimes cannot believe the things people are capable of doing to each other- if only we all were equipped with empathy…

Beauty is drawn to look for her teenage daughter who had been living with her brother in Soweto and appears to have gone missing during the student uprising. She leaves behind her younger children and makes the long journey into a city in which she feels ill at ease. Beauty’s voice is that of a teacher, measured and consistent, calm and intelligent. I connected with her as a mother immediately and could feel her frustration at the hurdles she faced just seeping off the pages.

The other perspective comes from 9 year old Robin who is white and English and whose parents are murdered during the uprising at an unrelated event. The one person who can care for her is her aunt and though they both like each other the aunt isn’t really ready to become a parent and Robin finds herself in the care of Beauty. I found Robin’s passages to be very well issued- she’s a child and her world has fallen apart. Her sense of abandonment is overwhelming and I found Marais gave her enough time to explore this life change, it wasn’t rushed. I also like that her innocence brought us back to reality, her choice to keep something hidden later in the novel was a decision made by someone so young that you were forced to be reminded of how little of the world she knew.

Beauty’s searching brought out many aspects of apartheid South Africa in a subtle and matter of fact way that were natural to the exploration of the plot of the novel. And yet, they were no less poignant. Her ability to weave story and reality was very well done. I am certainly putting Bianca Marais on my to-watch list.

Thank you to Penguin Group for our review copy. All opinions are our own.

I have many, many books on my Kindle, so many that it makes me sad that I just don't have time to read them all. So when it comes time to pick a new book to read I choose them at random, if something catches my attention, or if I heard a lot about the book, and I have it on my Kindle - I'll read it. What made me read this book? The title - Hum If You Don't Know the Words seems so intriguing and promises a good emotional story.

Hum If You Don't Know the Words is a complex story of emotions and change. It's told from two completely different perspectives - first, we have Robin, she's a white tween coming from a well-to-do family. Second, we have Beauty, a widowed Xhosa women from a rural part of the South Africa, mother to three children. Both perspectives give us peek into the state of the world at the time - Apartheid era in South Africa's history.

Life of Robin and Beauty cross at traumatic times for the girl, the women and the country. Beauty comes to Johannesburg to find her daughter, who is said to be in a danger. She finds herself in the middle of Soweto Uprising. Robin lost her parents as a backlash of the uprising. Beauty becomes Robin caretaker, when girl's aunt is out, working as a flight attendant.  Robin and Beauty's relationship has a rough start, Robin was brought up in an environment that was alienating black people, she's seen how disrespectful her parents were to black people that worked for them. So she carried this disrespect to her relationship with Beauty. It is somehow understandable that she acts like she does, and given the loss of her parents, I was feeling sympathetic towards her. However, Robin is just a girl, and her actions often are very selfish. And sometimes too adult-ish for her age, which was bothering me while reading the book.

I much preferred Beauty's chapters. She went through a lot in her life, but she remains a strong woman. Characters like her are always most compelling to me, the ones that show us how to deal with difficulties and persevere. Her chapters are thoughtful and strong.

The story is tackling an issue of racism, it's taking place during the Apartheid, and two main characters are a white girl and a black woman. There is a surprisingly very diverse cast of supporting characters, that are just a bit too much of stereotypes. But I admire the effort of portraying them in a thoughtful way, not just as a "diverse background".

Overall, it is a good story. I'd recommend it for a book club, there is potential for lively discussions.

I received an advance copy in return for this honest review, thanks to Net Galley and G.P. Putnam. I expected to absolutely love it; I came of age when the South African revolution against the Apartheid state was in full flower and before anything about it showed on mainstream media, which was all we really had then apart from underground films shown in the basements of coffee houses near campus. I loved Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom, and had attended dozens of talks given by members of the African National Congress that were forced into exile. So when I saw that this novel was set in revolutionary South Africa, I was pumped. Popular fiction about one of the greatest political events to occur in my lifetime? Oh yes indeed. Count me in!

As it turns out, not so much.

The novel has its strengths, to be sure, and those that have read nothing about the South African revolution may find this story more approachable than plunging into Mandela’s work, which requires hefty amounts of time and stamina as well as strong literary skills. Marais’s book showcases the inequalities that existed, a Jim Crow that was every bit as brazen as that in the southern USA during the early and mid-twentieth century. It highlights the institutionalized racism that forbade people of color from even entering white enclaves where the best of everything existed, unless the bearer was carrying a pass issued by a Caucasian employer. There are a lot of people out there, especially young ones, for whom this will be a worthy introduction. And it starts out strong, with convicts on the Parchman work farm in a setting so stark and immediate that it made me thirsty.

That said, it also has its limitations.

Our two protagonists are Robin Conrad and Beauty Mbali, in that order. Robin is a Caucasian child whose parents are killed in the struggle against Apartheid. Beauty is a Xhosa woman that is hired to care for Robin. Beauty’s own daughter took part in the Soweto Uprising and is missing.

My disappointment with this book springs from the fact that Robin is given greater development, and in terms of physical space, nearly double the number of pages as Beauty (known to Robin as “Mabel”). A puzzling component is Robin’s invisible friend, whom she refers to as her sister. The invisible friend gets as much attention here as Beauty does, and for the life of me I cannot understand why. I don’t see the imaginary sister adding anything to the story. Given the setting, it’s also hard to understand why we need so much information about Afrikaaner culture.

It feels a lot as if the author is saying that “All Lives Matter”.

I know this book has a lot of happy readers, but I can only promote it in a limited sense. With the above caveats, this book—which is for sale now—is recommended for younger readers that have at least eighth grade literacy skills.

The colors and title on the cover reach out and intrigues you. The characters and beautiful use of figurative language pull you in and keep you engaged. A wonderfully written, eye opening perspective as to how things may have been during the apartheid in South Africa. Robin's parents have died and Beauty's daughter has disappeared. They come together and their relationship is one of love, loss, and resilience.

I haven't written up my full thoughts on this, but I do plan on doing so this weekend. For now, I gave it 5 stars and said, "Absolutely fantastic!
Robin and Beauty are two characters that will leave a permanent mark on my heart." on my Goodreads page.

I also included in into my Best books read so far in 2017: http://www.literaryhoarders.com/pennys-reviews/best-read-books-in-2017-midpoint-roundup/

What a wonderful and fantastic read this book was. I have just finished reading it and I know my outlook for this day has just notched up quite a bit. The feeling that this book has left me with is amazing.

A story of a young girl, Robin, who is 9 years old and how her whole life, her family and those around her changed drastically all in one day during the Apartheid in South Africa. A story that had me laughing, crying, shocked, mortified, and shaking my head a lot. I really grew to love these characters and loved that I got to spend a day and a half with them. Actually, I wanted to spend more time with them, however, the book came to an end. An ending that had me hoping, smiling, fist pumping and definitely crying.

Robin is a character that will not let you go. I am so grateful to Penguin Group/Putnam and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley and the opportunity to read this incredible book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!

{My Thoughts}

What Worked For Me
Build Up of Anticipation – Right from the start, Hum if You Don’t Know the Words builds suspense. What is going to happen to Robin’s parents? Where is Beauty’s daughter? How will their stories link? What happened to Nomsa? I would in no way classify the book as a suspense novel, but there were just enough questions to really keep me engaged.

South African History Lesson – I like to learn from books and Hum if You Don’t Know the Words delivered on that front. On June 16, 1976, in response to a government decree requiring all black schools to teach Afrikaans (the language associated with Apartheid) students in Soweto led a peaceful protest rally. That rally quickly became violent as police intervened. Death counts range from 100-7oo with thousands injured. The uprising marked the turning point in the fight to end Apartheid and was what Bianca Marais used as the catalyst for her debut. Unknown to Beauty, her daughter acted as a leader in the rally and vanished in the violence. Ten-year old Robin’s parents were murdered that same evening. Throughout the book Marais gives glimpses into prejudice running rampant in South Africa, but also the flip side: whites and blacks fighting for change. She wisely used Robin to embody the change struggling to find footing in the South Africa.

“I didn’t know what to say in a world where people were hated and attacked for not being the right color, not speaking the right language, not worshipping the right god or not loving the right people; a world where hatred was the common language, and bricks, the only words.”

A Mother’s Anguish – I loved Beauty in this story. When she got word that her daughter might be headed for trouble, Beauty made the difficult decision to leave her two sons, travel to Johannesburg, and bring Nomsa home. After the uprising, Beauty used every resource she could to stay in Johannesburg and search for her missing daughter. The love and emotion surrounding Beauty were remarkable. When she gets word her daughter is being trained as a “freedom fighter,” Beauty’s struggle NOT to see Nomsa as a terrorist was heartbreaking; her anguish, palpable.

“…If we ever taste victory, will out fighters lower their fists and live in peace or will they always be looking for the next conflict? I despair that we are all becoming murderers, white and black alike, and that we will never be able to wipe this blood from out hands. I pray that I am wrong.”

What Didn’t
Cat – Robin had an imaginary friend, Cat. At first this seemed endearing, but quickly got old for me. I understand Robin needed Cat after her parents were killed, but Cat was there even before that happened and I’m just not sure why. I found the play between Robin and Cat to be annoying.

Robin – Make no mistake, for the most part I really liked Robin. My heart went out to this poor girl trying to bravely carry on under horrendous circumstances. However, in the last third of the book, I felt like Robin’s side of the story became too unrealistic. A couple of different incidents leading up to the book’s climax, I had a difficult time suspending my disbelief of. Those were quickly followed by some valuable “lesson learning,” on Robin’s part that was also difficult to swallow. Robin’s wisdom seemed far, far beyond her years.

{The Final Assessment}

Despite seeing flaws in Robin, I really liked Hum if You Don’t Know the Words. The strength of Beauty’s character made up for any weaknesses in Robin’s. I would have liked to see more resolution in Beauty’s story. It almost felt like Marais was leaving loose ends for a sequel. The book holds up well to comparisons with The Help and The Secret Life of Bees. If you liked those and would enjoy similar themes, but in a whole new setting then you should definitely add Hum if You Don’t Know the Words to your book list. Grade: B

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

When you think of South Africa, how many of you think of a land where black people are repressed by whites and subject to slave-like conditions?

Set in Apartheid South Africa, this book does a beautiful job reminding the reader that these atrocities happened in the near past as it follows two main characters Beauty, a black woman searching for her daughter and Robin, a privileged white girl of 11. The stark contrast between their experiences sheds an amazing light on the racial divide in a land where most people think is simply inhabited by blacks.

Bianca does a wonderful job weaving the stories together and sprinkling in other social issues on her way. I highly recommend this book.

I would rate this a solid 4.5. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. A very powerful, captivating, gripping, witty, and exquisitely written debut novel. One of the best books I've read in awhile. It is the story of Robin, a young South African girl, and Beauty, a Xhosa woman, mother and teacher--two broken people whose paths are brought together. These two people come from completely different backgrounds who are thrust together through tragedy and the unfurling events in South Africa during the latter part of the Apartheid era (1970s). It is a story of violence, racism, ambition, determination, and most of all love. A well done historical fiction rendering of apartheid South Africa, including the Soweto uprising in 1976. Characters are all well defined. A very good read!

There are three things that really drew me to this novel....the cover, especially the colors, the title, and the first sentence of the blurb mentioning The Help. You see, I absolutely loved The Help, so I hit the request button as fast as possible on Netgalley and hoped for the best. I was thrilled to get this the day before it published and I immediately dropped all my other reads and started this one. I have to say, I've fallen victim to this marketing ploy before...the "perfect for readers of" one...and I've been severely disappointed in the past. I'm happy to say this book completely lived up to the comparison of The Help, although not in a similar plot way, rather in the way it evoked similar feelings in me.

The story is set in 1975-1976 South Africa with the Soweto Uprising as the catalyst that connects the main characters, Robin and Beauty. We're first introduced to Robin, a precocious 9 year old girl and her parents, all of whom I immediately connected with as their voices were so well developed. I loved how the author set up their family life and really allowed us to get to know them. The dialogue was fantastic and I felt like I was there feeling the heat and the dust near the mines. When tragedy strikes the family and Robin is forced into a completely different life, it broke my heart! I had just gotten to know all of them. What occurs for Robin after this tragedy is the basis for the rest of the story. Especially when she makes a spur of the moment decision later in the story that changes the course of the most important relationship she has left.

Beauty is a mother of two young sons who leaves her rural South African village when her daughter goes missing in Johanessburg during the Soweto Uprising.  Her life eventually intersects with Robin's and how this changes both their lives and whether Beauty ever finds her daughter...well you'll just have to read to find out but believe me when I say, I was so invested in these characters, especially Beauty, that I couldn't put this book down until I found out! What I found surprising was the fact that, for me, Beauty's character stole the novel and she really reminded me of Abileen from The Help. There's wit, humor, happiness and sadness all wrapped up in a well paced plot. As I said, the author manages to write in such a way that the characters all came to life, even Elvis the parrot, although at times he was over the top.

If it sounds like this was a 5 star read for me, it really would've been except for some minor issues I had with Robin's character and the last couple chapters. Don't get me wrong, I really liked Robin but there were times her character, who's 9, behaved and spoke like a 5 year old and then other times she seemed to be 16 or older. It seemed a little inconsistent. Now, I can't really say why the last few chapters gave me pause without spoiling things but I will say that they really tested my ability to suspend disbelief which is ok (it's fiction I get it) but the level was pretty high. Then, the ending...I'm all kinds of conflicted about it and really need to discuss it! That being said, this would make a great book club pick as there's lots to discuss as far as character's actions and the plot. I do highly recommend this and if you do decide to read it feel free to DM me so we can chat about the ending! In the meantime, I'm very much looking forward to Bianca Marais's next novel.