Journey To Jo’burg: A South African Story - Brossura

Beverley Naidoo was born in South Africa and grew up under apartheid. After arrest and detention without trial, she came to England. She married another exile and was only able to return freely twenty-six years later, after Nelson Mandela's release from jail. Their two children were brought up in England where she still lives. She goes back to South Africa to stay in touch, especially with young people. A teacher for many years, she has a doctorate in education and a number of honorary degrees.

Paperback fiction: age 8-15 years

"...the more searing for its gentleness, that makes young readers ask questions we must learn to answer."
'The Guardian '

Frightened that their baby sister Dineo will die, thirteen-year-old Naledi and her younger brother Tiro run away to Johannesburg to find their mother, who works there as a maid. Their journey illustrates at every turn the grim realities of apartheid – the police, the pass laws, racism, the breaking up of families.

The opulence of the white "Madam's" house contrasts starkly with the reality that Naledi and Tiro face – that their baby sister is suffering from starvation, not an incurable disease. Their journey is also one of courage and of beginning to learn about the wider struggle for freedom. It is a story about keeping alive hope.