The Architecture of Loss: A Novel

Fiction & Literature, African American, Literary
Cover of the book The Architecture of Loss: A Novel by Z. P. Dala, Pegasus Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Z. P. Dala ISBN: 9781681774923
Publisher: Pegasus Books Publication: July 4, 2017
Imprint: Pegasus Books Language: English
Author: Z. P. Dala
ISBN: 9781681774923
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Publication: July 4, 2017
Imprint: Pegasus Books
Language: English

A novel of forgiveness and reconciliation that shines light on the dark underbelly of South Africa’s fight for freedom and democracy.

Estranged at the age of six from her mother, who sent her away from her hometown of Brighton in rural Zululand, brilliant architect Afroze Bhana has carved out an impressive life for herself in Cape Town. But when she receives word that her aging mother is desperately ill, she finds herself compelled to return to her place of birth to find answers about her painful childhood.

Afroze arrives in Brighton to find that her mother, Sylvie—who was a doctor and a fierce activist during the dark days of the anti-apartheid struggle—is a shadow of her formidable self, but Sylvie has still retained her sarcasm and anger toward the daughter that she sent away. Somehow, Sylvie cannot draw her daughter close, even facing the looming threat of her own mortality. She remains in the cottage of Afroze’s childhood, frozen in a world where she surrounds herself with luxury and garish indulgences, cared for by the fiercely protective Halaima, a Malawian refugee. Especially painful for Afroze is the love and affection that Sylvie showers on Bibi, Halaima’s pampered and precocious daughter—love which she could never give her own daughter.

A moving novel about the complexities of family ties, The Architecture of Loss beautifully explores the ways in which the anti-apartheid struggle—a struggle in which the roles of women have been largely overlooked—irrevocably damaged many of its unsung heroes.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A novel of forgiveness and reconciliation that shines light on the dark underbelly of South Africa’s fight for freedom and democracy.

Estranged at the age of six from her mother, who sent her away from her hometown of Brighton in rural Zululand, brilliant architect Afroze Bhana has carved out an impressive life for herself in Cape Town. But when she receives word that her aging mother is desperately ill, she finds herself compelled to return to her place of birth to find answers about her painful childhood.

Afroze arrives in Brighton to find that her mother, Sylvie—who was a doctor and a fierce activist during the dark days of the anti-apartheid struggle—is a shadow of her formidable self, but Sylvie has still retained her sarcasm and anger toward the daughter that she sent away. Somehow, Sylvie cannot draw her daughter close, even facing the looming threat of her own mortality. She remains in the cottage of Afroze’s childhood, frozen in a world where she surrounds herself with luxury and garish indulgences, cared for by the fiercely protective Halaima, a Malawian refugee. Especially painful for Afroze is the love and affection that Sylvie showers on Bibi, Halaima’s pampered and precocious daughter—love which she could never give her own daughter.

A moving novel about the complexities of family ties, The Architecture of Loss beautifully explores the ways in which the anti-apartheid struggle—a struggle in which the roles of women have been largely overlooked—irrevocably damaged many of its unsung heroes.

More books from Pegasus Books

Cover of the book The Case of the Fickle Mermaid: A Brothers Grimm Mystery (Brothers Grimm Mysteries) by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book The Rarest Bird in the World: The Search for the Nechisar Nightjar by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book Louis XIV: The Power and the Glory by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book Surface Tension by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book An Essay On Niggers and Squirrels by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book The Little Book of Big History: The Story of the Universe, Human Civilization, and Everything in Between by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book You Can Run: A Novel by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book Bloody Scotland: New Fiction from Scotland's Best Crime Writers by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book The Siege of Vienna: The Last Great Trial Between Cross & Crescent by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book Jacobs Beach: The Mob, the Fights, the Fifties by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book Willie: The Man, the Myth and the Era, Texas Roots/California Dreams by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book A Different Lie: A Novel by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book Magwitch by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book Cyberspies: The Secret History of Surveillance, Hacking, and Digital Espionage by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book The Blooding: A Novel by Z. P. Dala
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy