I’m super excited to share my review of one of my new favorite books: If you want to make God laugh. I have a new favorite author and her name is Bianca Marais! This was a book that I found via bookstagram. I saw so many great reviews that I had to see if it was worth the hype. Spoiler alert: It is 100% worth the hype!
Synopsis
In a squatter camp on the outskirts of Johannesburg, seventeen-year-old Zodwa lives in desperate poverty, under the shadowy threat of a civil war and a growing AIDS epidemic. Eight months pregnant, Zodwa carefully guards secrets that jeopardize her life.
Across the country, wealthy socialite Ruth appears to have everything her heart desires, but it’s what she can’t have that leads to her breakdown. Meanwhile, in Zaire, a disgraced former nun, Delilah, grapples with a past that refuses to stay buried. When these personal crises send both middle-aged women back to their rural hometown to lick their wounds, the discovery of an abandoned newborn baby upends everything, challenging their lifelong beliefs about race, motherhood, and the power of the past.
As the mystery surrounding the infant grows, the complicated lives of Zodwa, Ruth, and Delilah become inextricably linked. What follows is a mesmerizing look at family and identity that asks: How far will the human heart go to protect itself and the ones it loves?
Rating
5 Stars (A Must Read!)
My Thoughts
This was my book club’s pick for May and it was an amazing pick for a group discussion! There is a lot of things to talk about. What I liked the most about this book is that it is a character driven book but it has a plot! The character development is great and the writing is amazing.
It didn’t take long for me to get swept into this story. I was captivated by the characters from the beginning. My favorite character was Ruth, what a great character! Bianca has the ability to write about very heavy topics with grace and the book left me feeling so much hope. The attention to details was masterful.
My book club had the opportunity to have a virtual chat with Bianca and it was a great experience. We learned about the inspiration for the book, her writing process and which books she’s loving. It was amazing to be able to connect with her and ask her questions.
I hadn’t read many books set in South Africa and I am so glad I pick this one up. I learned a lot from reading this book. As soon as I finished the book I ordered Bianca’s previous book Hum if you don’t know the words. I need more of her writing and I want to learn more about South Africa.
Favorite Quotes
“As women, we’re told our worth and our value, and the many ways in which we fall short of others’ expectations; we’re told why we’re whores and why society can’t tolerate whores. We’re reminded of the ways we dishonor the unwritten contract we didn’t know we signed on the day of our birth: a contract in which we agreed to toe the line and know our place simply because we are the fairer sex.”
“I’ve just come to realize more and more that if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. And I’ve never had more plans than I have now.”
Content Warnings
I am going to start adding content warnings to my reviews. Although I am not sensitive to what I read about in books, I know so many people are. However, I want to help by indicating some potentially triggering content in the books I read.
These are the content warnings for this book: Suicide attempt, rape scenes, death of a parent, violence, racism, racial slurs, gun violence, alcoholism, infertility, HIV/AIDS (stigma, treatment, diagnosis), extreme poverty. If you have read this book and think of other content warnings that would be helpful to include please include them in the comments.
Who I recommend this to
If you are a fan of A woman is no man, Dominicana, The girl with the louding voice you’ll like this one!
Did I convince you to pick up this book? Get your copy from bookshop.org here. The paperback edition comes out next month. Please consider ordering it from a Black owned independent bookstore. This list of Black owned independent bookstores accepts online ordering.
