Hum If You Don't Know the Words

By: Bianca Marais

Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan, Bahni Turpin

Length: 14 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Perfect for fans of The Secret Life of Bees and The Help, a perceptive and searing look at Apartheid-era South Africa, told through one unique family brought together by tragedy.

Life under Apartheid has created a secure future for Robin Conrad, a 10-year-old white girl living with her parents in 1970s Johannesburg. In the same nation but worlds apart, Beauty Mbali, a Xhosa woman in a rural village in the Bantu homeland of the Transkei, struggles to raise her children alone after her husband's death. Both lives have been built upon the division of race, and their meeting should never have occurred...until the Soweto Uprising, in which a protest by black students ignites racial conflict, alters the fault lines on which their society is built, and shatters their worlds when Robin's parents are left dead and Beauty's daughter goes missing.

After Robin is sent to live with her loving but irresponsible aunt, Beauty is hired to care for Robin while continuing the search for her daughter. In Beauty, Robin finds the security and family that she craves, and the two forge an inextricable bond through their deep personal losses. But Robin knows that if Beauty finds her daughter, Robin could lose her new caretaker forever, so she makes a desperate decision with devastating consequences. Her quest to make amends and find redemption is a journey of self-discovery in which she learns the harsh truths of the society that once promised her protection.

Told through Beauty's and Robin's alternating perspectives, the interwoven narratives create a rich and complex tapestry of the emotions and tensions at the heart of Apartheid-era South Africa. Hum If You Don't Know the Words is a beautifully rendered look at loss, racism, and the creation of family.

©2017 Bianca Marais (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Radiant...a stirring ode to a country’s painful maturation.” (O, The Oprah Magazine)

“Richly drawn...[The characters’] journeys and eventual love poignantly demonstrate that nothing is simply black or white.” (USA Today)

“In this standout debut Marais handles topics such as grief and racism with a delicate intensity that will make readers fall in love with her characters. From the first few heartfelt chapters to a fast-paced and heart-wrenching ending, Marais has created a stunning historical drama that shouldn’t be missed.” (Publishers Weekly)

Awesome

This was an awesome book. I have an hour commute to and from work. So this was able to keep me occupied during my long drives.

So beautiful and well read.

A moving story of love, strength and courage. The narrators were excellent. Enjoyed every minute.

This story is love

Words cannot express how much this book has touched me. I would love to hear the rest of the story and how their lives stayed intertwined. Beautiful!!

Beautiful story about real love

This story show us that there’s no limitations for unconditional love no matter the circumstances in lifetime

Really well done!!!!

A very well written book that has depth! Enjoyed the story line, emotional depth… made me feel like I was there!! Good job!!

The Nature Of Love

I listened to If You Want to Make God Laugh and loved it so much, I decided to give this a try. I wasn't as immediately engrossed in this one as I was the other, but then I was. The last chapter almost had me in tears. What a wonderful story of how love can transform and change the heart. Can't wait for the next one.

Powerful and moving

What did you love best about Hum If You Don't Know the Words?

Everything. This book made me laugh and cry and get angry and rejoice. I wished it would never end.

What does Katharine McEwan and Bahni Turpin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The book takes place in South Africa so the accents are extremely important ~ and the narrators nailed it! So fun to listen to the different accents of the many characters. They were both phenomenal.

Who was the most memorable character of Hum If You Don't Know the Words and why?

All of them, You wanted to know them better. From the key players to the smaller characters. They all added something to the story.

Any additional comments?

This book was my favorite yet. Of the 57 books in my collection thus far, this is the one that I will recommend over and over. It was truly moving, yet fun and uplifting.

Read instead of listen

Loved the story but was distracted by the fake accents of the narrators. I’d recommend reading instead of listening for that reason.

Fantastic Story

What a beautiful story told about the turmoil of a 10-year old white girl and a 50-year old black lady during the apartheid years in South Africa. I had moments of laughter and sorrow ... beautiful!

Wonderful story development

Rare, storytelling, quality, great character, development, and humor, sprinkled in amongst difficult topics. Typical of the time/era. Great narration.