Child of the River

By: Irma Joubert

Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman

A timeless coming-of-age tale of heartbreak and triumph set in South Africa at the dawn of apartheid.

Persomi is young, white, and poor, born the middle child of illiterate sharecroppers on the prosperous Fourie farm in the South African Bushveld. Persomi’s world is extraordinarily small. She has never been to the local village and spends her days absorbed in the rhythms of the natural world around her, escaping the brutality and squalor of her family home through the newspapers and books passed down to her from the main house and through her walks in the nearby mountains.

Persomi’s close relationship with her older brother Gerbrand and her fragile friendship with Boelie Fourie—heir to the Fourie farm and fortune—are her lifeline and her only connection to the outside world. When Gerbrand leaves the farm to fight on the side of the Anglos in WWII and Boelie joins an underground network of Boer nationalists, Persomi’s isolated world is blown wide open. But as her very small world falls apart, bigger dreams open to her—dreams of an education, a profession, a native country that values justice and equality, and of love. As Persomi navigates the changing landscape around her—the tragedies of war and the devastating racial strife of her homeland—she finally discovers who she truly is, where she belongs, and why her life—and every life—matters.

The English language publication of Child of the River solidifies Irma Joubert as a unique and powerful voice in historical fiction.

“Filled with lessons of grace and love, Child of the River is a story that reminds us all to hold steady through life’s most fragile hours.” —Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of Perennials

Critic reviews

'Potent, stunning historical fiction that is an amazing read!'

'This is a thoughtful and provoking novel to be savored.”

“Joubert (The Girl from the Train) once again demonstrates a knack for stringing believable, interesting characters through a historical South African landscape. Not just a sweet romantic novel, Joubert’s book is a testament to the value of hard work and perseverance.”

Perfection!

I love Irma Joubert and Sarah Zimmerman is my favorite audiobook narrator ever so I knew I'd love this before I even started.

This is a wonderful story of a young girl living in poverty with an abusive father. She is given a chance to go to school, where she excels. As an adult, she studies law and fights against apartheid in defense of her Indian neighbors. Childhood friends disagree with her politics and she's always met with opposition, which she eloquently knocks down.

There is a roller coaster of a romance interlaced as well, but I don't trust myself to describe it without ruining the experience for others. You'll just have to listen for yourself.

Good story but slow moving

Good story with many sad events. It was like a young adult book but with some adult themes like incest. There was also many racist themes. But is was generally interesting. The reader was very good

Good book, poor narration

Why do English narrators not make an effort to properly pronounce names in other languages?

Beautiful realistic story of love

I read this book twice, the first time stopping halfway through because I just wasn’t ready for it to end. So I began it over again and listened to the end. Cannot pride this book enough. A beautiful story of friendship and love that isn’t cheapened by ridiculous hurdles, but filled with real and genuinely raw realities the characters live through during this difficult time in South Africa’s history.

Great read

Enjoyed the book and learning about the time in South Africa. Also enjoyed the suspense of the family situations.