Review of A Chameleon from the land of the Quagga
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[i][Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Chameleon from the land of the Quagga" by Joan Bismillah.][/i] [rwc=id485498-125]3 out of 4 stars.[/rwc]Joan was a rambunctious child born in 1928 in Johannesburg, South Africa, as a member of the privileged white class. Although they had servants, she never paid attention to the discrimination against people of color. When Joan was seven, her mother passed away, and her authoritarian grandmother moved in to help take care of the children since her father traveled frequently on business. To escape from her grandmother’s overbearing rules after growing up, she decided to become a midwife. While away at school, Joan began to notice the discrepancy between the treatment of the “Europeans” (whites) versus the “non-Europeans” (non-whites). This caused her to join a group called The Progressive Forum to work surreptitiously to try to bring about change. It was at one of the meetings that she met Bis, an Indian who was a medical student. Although there was an instantaneous attraction between the two, it was against the law to marry or even date because of apartheid.
According to Joan, “This multi-hued society should have adopted the quagga, that extinct beast with its varicoloured body, as an emblem for the country.” Color played a predominant role in the discrimination in the country. Her own well-being would become endangered when she decided to pursue her relationship with Bis. Like a chameleon, Joan adapted to her life in South Africa, London, and Canada as they searched for a place to live in peace without discrimination. This is the story of her life under apartheid and the lengths she would go to be with the one she loved.
Joan Bismillah’s book, A Chameleon from the Land of the Quagga, is a 381-page eloquent autobiographical love story that educates readers about apartheid in South Africa. One could sense Joan and Bis’s danger after they began to date; they had to be constantly on guard and watch their every move, knowing that spies for the government were everywhere. This book also informs us about what it was like to live in London and Canada in those days. The author entices the reader into her world, providing a descriptive picture of life in the countries they resided in. Most of it is written in an easy-to-understand language; however, there are occasional words that many readers may need to look up to comprehend, such as “salubrious,” “inculcated,” and “clerestory.” This is not necessarily a bad thing because it increases the reader’s vocabulary.
This was written from Joan’s first-person point of view. Her personality was one that I appreciated; she felt like a brave and adventurous friend. Bis and Joan’s lives were laid bare for the readers; the book exposed both their strengths and weaknesses. This allows us to know them and fathom the reasons for their actions. I found this emotional story very touching, making me happy at times and causing me to cry at other times.
Although I loved this book, not everything was great. Occasionally, information was repeated. In addition, I found too many punctuation and grammatical errors. They were minor and didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book; unfortunately, there were over ten. It could use one more round of editing.
Because of the errors, this poignant love story achieves a rating of three out of four stars. I heartily recommend it to people who enjoy autobiographies, historical books, and love stories. Readers who would like to understand how apartheid in South Africa affected its residents would also appreciate it. Writing this book was a marvelous gift for Joan’s children and grandchildren.
Sensitive readers need to be aware of a few profanities and rare episodes of violence in the story. ****** [i]A Chameleon from the land of the Quagga [/i] View: [url=http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=485498]on Bookshelves[/url] | on Amazon
According to Joan, “This multi-hued society should have adopted the quagga, that extinct beast with its varicoloured body, as an emblem for the country.” Color played a predominant role in the discrimination in the country. Her own well-being would become endangered when she decided to pursue her relationship with Bis. Like a chameleon, Joan adapted to her life in South Africa, London, and Canada as they searched for a place to live in peace without discrimination. This is the story of her life under apartheid and the lengths she would go to be with the one she loved.
Joan Bismillah’s book, A Chameleon from the Land of the Quagga, is a 381-page eloquent autobiographical love story that educates readers about apartheid in South Africa. One could sense Joan and Bis’s danger after they began to date; they had to be constantly on guard and watch their every move, knowing that spies for the government were everywhere. This book also informs us about what it was like to live in London and Canada in those days. The author entices the reader into her world, providing a descriptive picture of life in the countries they resided in. Most of it is written in an easy-to-understand language; however, there are occasional words that many readers may need to look up to comprehend, such as “salubrious,” “inculcated,” and “clerestory.” This is not necessarily a bad thing because it increases the reader’s vocabulary.
This was written from Joan’s first-person point of view. Her personality was one that I appreciated; she felt like a brave and adventurous friend. Bis and Joan’s lives were laid bare for the readers; the book exposed both their strengths and weaknesses. This allows us to know them and fathom the reasons for their actions. I found this emotional story very touching, making me happy at times and causing me to cry at other times.
Although I loved this book, not everything was great. Occasionally, information was repeated. In addition, I found too many punctuation and grammatical errors. They were minor and didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book; unfortunately, there were over ten. It could use one more round of editing.
Because of the errors, this poignant love story achieves a rating of three out of four stars. I heartily recommend it to people who enjoy autobiographies, historical books, and love stories. Readers who would like to understand how apartheid in South Africa affected its residents would also appreciate it. Writing this book was a marvelous gift for Joan’s children and grandchildren.
Sensitive readers need to be aware of a few profanities and rare episodes of violence in the story. ****** [i]A Chameleon from the land of the Quagga [/i] View: [url=http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=485498]on Bookshelves[/url] | on Amazon
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