This Place I Call Home By Meg Vandermerwe

Book Review Of This Place I Call Home By Meg Vandermerwe

Publisher: ‎ Modjaji Books

Language: ‎ English

Print length:  ‎ 148 pages

The book is written by Meg Vandermerwe who was born in South Africa in 1978. She studied English at Oxford University and is a graduate of the MA course in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. She teaches English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of the Western Cape and lives in Cape Town.

The book is a fine compilation of stories, grouped well above its weight. Humanitarian, concerned, compassionate and inflexible, luminous with spirit and beauty, and written with an extraordinary mixture of discipline and exuberance, it shows the debut of a talented writer.

This Place I Call Home is a book with ten stories or we can say ten different voices. Ten assorted viewpoints of what home has been to South Africans. The life of these people created a challenging history. In this book the author focuses on the life style of the other people who have struggled a lot. Through this thought provoking collected works we are brought closer into the lives of those people.    

1. A hijack story.
2. The leopard hunter.
3. Hottentot Venus girl.
4. The holiday.
5. Exile
6. A Sea Point widower speaks.
7. The red earth.
8. The dictionary.
9. The mango tree.
10. But this place is my home.

A Hijack Story is a quick, fuming representation of an affluent Indian doctor who lies, He was diligent enough that hijackers move violently to steal his Mercedes-Benz. The Mango Tree story tells the story of a primary teacher who defends child victims against a principal of her school. The Holiday is one of the most prevailing stories, here we find a domestic worker, who was once promised a tour to Europe by her madam and ends by going herself to Paris.

Though the book has got only 150 pages but in it Vandermerwe portraits beautiful, Magnificent the ten forceful portrayals of South Africa’s past, present and future.

When I selected the book I was very much fascinated by the name. But as I started to read I was filled with both the emotions I was happy and sad. I appreciate the pain gone behind writing such a wonderful book and sad to know the pathetic condition of the people of South Africa. This teaches me to love and respect all whatever may be the situation of other we must respect them.

SUJATA VINCENT THOPELYA, Roll No.: 48

Website address from where I read the book. I downloaded from N-List to the PC.

Book: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12luSEKWVvkkXZfFkqfF5LYhRpO-xFDdw/view?usp=drivesdk

Website from where I copied the image:

Book Images:  https://www.amazon.com/This-Place-I-Call-Home/dp/1920397027

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