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 Hourglass Factory: A Novel by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book Alive in Shape and Color: 17 Paintings by Great Artists and the Stories They Inspired by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book In Sunlight or In Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book The Hollow Men: A Novel (Harry Kent Mysteries) by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book The Reckoning on Cane Hill: A Novel by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book Victims of Yalta by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book The Phantom Killer: Unlocking the Mystery of the Texarkana Serial Murders: The Story of a Town in Terror by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book The Ascent of Gravity: The Quest to Understand the Force that Explains Everything by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book Hobbes: Great Thinkers on Modern Life by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book Baudelaire's Revenge: A Novel by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book Operation Dragoon: The Allied Liberation of the South of France: 1944 by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book The Art of the English Murder: From Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book Oscar Wilde and the Return of Jack the Ripper: An Oscar Wilde Mystery by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book Blood and Fears: How America's Bomber Boys of the 8th Air Force Saved World War II by Z. P. Dala
Cover of the book When Islam Is Not a Religion: Inside America's Fight for Religious Freedom 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