Sacrificed

October 15, 2017

This is the first of South African Paul's 31 novels to be translated into English. The action spans 50 years, with a large cast of characters, and moves from South Africa to Belgium and back, with stops along the way in the Congo. In 1961, Ammie abandons her newborn to a foster mother, paying off Fien in stolen diamonds. Ammie, fearing that the baby's father is her thoroughly evil husband, wants nothing more to do with the child. Caz grows up and gives birth to Lilah, whose skin is dark even though both of her parents are white. Twenty years later, Caz is called to Belgium, where a dying Fien wants to talk about Caz's birth mother. Meanwhile, two Congolese men are shadowing her; a professor is fixated on her. There are complicated reasons for why all this happens, but it all ends in the chance of love for Caz. VERDICT Despite its exploration of South Africa's racial issues, this convoluted romantic mystery thriller takes too long to get to the point, with too many brief chapters changing focus and adding little to the plot development. Be prepared for a slow read.--David Keymer, Cleveland

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