Hum if You Don't Know The Words by Bianca Marais (#10 in 2020)
A big thank you goes to @kraysbookclub and @downtogetthefictionon for hosting this as the January pick for #notyomamasbookclub
Not only was this a great book club choice, but Kristen and Janine brought Bianca in to discuss her book with us, and the conversation was incredible!
This is my FIRST five star book of 2020! Thank you, Bianca Marais for writing the book I was looking for!
Hum shares the stories of Robin, a 9 year old white girl growing up in Johannesburg, and Beauty, a Xhosa woman from a rural village. When the racial tensions caused by Apartheid spark the tragic Soweto uprising, Beauty's daughter goes missing and Robin becomes an orphan. Robin's aunt takes her in but cannot dedicate the time to care for her, and Beauty is hired as Robin's nanny. Constantly fearing abandonment, Robin begins to trust Beauty and fear that she'll lose the one constant in her life when Beauty's daughter is found.
Hum is told in alternating perspectives between Robin and Beauty. Beauty's race and social class separate her from the luxuries of white society, despite her job as a caregiver for a white child while she looks for her daughter. Robin's storyline proves that adversity takes multiple forms. While Beauty searches for her missing daughter, Robin needs to learn how to persevere as an orphan whose aunt cannot become the surrogate parent she so desperately needs. Both Beauty and Robin demonstrate that no one is perfect as they each make wrong choices that impact those around them.
Marais's writing is beautiful. Her storytelling is both fluid and captivating, and I kept thinking how great this book was a fantastic 4.5 star read... until I hit page 393 and I got punched right in the feelings. For anyone who has read this book, let's not spoil anything but PLEASE tell me if this part got you as well! 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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