The Zebra Affaire

De: Mark Fine

Narrado por: Dennis Kleinman

In the spring of 1976, matters of the heart are strictly controlled by racist doctrines. In that toxic mix of segregation and tribal mistrust, an unlikely union between a black man and a white woman - an Afrikaner - shocks the nation.

The Zebra Affaire: An Apartheid Love Story

It's the spring of '76. For Elsa, her affair with Stanwell may well prove lethal, as she's white and he's black, and they dared to fall in love in apartheid South Africa. The terrified lovers are the prey in a deadly manhunt from the golden city of Johannesburg to the exotic but dangerous wilds of the African Bushveld.

When affairs of the State battle affaires of the heart, ordinary people become heroes!

The Zebra Affaire is a thrilling fusion of romance and suspense - laced with rich South African history. The tension is palpable as the persecuted couple race against time and bigotry. Reviewers rave about this intimate, yet dangerous, love story, that's set against a canvas that is both vividly authentic and powerfully provocative.

©2014, 2015 Mark J Fine (P)2017 Mark J Fine

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Intensely dazzling...not a black and white story, a rainbow story with the rich colors of lives in turmoil." (Elizabeth Newton, author of View from the Sixth Floor)

" The Zebra Affaire grips your soul and won't let go. Never mind zebras, think lions, raw and roar." (Geoff Nelder, author of ARIA: Left Luggage)

Magical sounds of The Zebra Affaire

The Zebra Affaire” is a must-listen audiobook for those who are not familiar with life in South Africa in the 70's. For an ex-pat, a former South African, it will take you back to a time when South Africa was the world’s pariah. Though the nostalgia will overwhelm you; the places, the foods, even the local vernacular will tug at your heartstrings due to the authentic (yet easily understood) accents as narrated by Dennis Kleinman. In this Audible collaboration, Fine & Kleinman are pretty amazing, creative artists with words, they have captured the colors, images and scents in sound, of not only the entire country, but also the people (in all their hues), and scored the movements and events of the era.

Unfortunately, we are still challenged across the racial divide. Change does not come easy. And that is why “The Zebra Affaire” is really significant, and why I’m so grateful I discovered and heard it. I sincerely hope this audiobook makes its way to the Museum of Tolerance, colleges, schools and other venues that champion human rights and dignity. I believe it is that important!

This story deserves 6 stars!

The story of Elsa and Stanwell is raw and beautiful, the writing is impactful, emotive and attention capturing. This book is in the top 1% of books I've read, I can't recommend it highly enough.

The combination of this forbidden love and the setting combined to create a story that as tragic as it is beautiful.

The narrator did a fantastic job of matching voices to the characters and conveying the emotions and tones of the story.

I received a free copy of this book from the author and/or narrator and/or publisher in exchange for an honest review.

If you found this review helpful would you please take a moment to click yes below.

Good research, cardboard characters.

Would you try another book from Mark Fine and/or Dennis Kleinman?

From this book, it is quite clear that Mark Fine had done the homework to write the story set in apartheid Africa. The geography and culture of that time and place are meticulously described in this book. Thus, I believe that Mark Fine has at least that quality down. But the main characters themselves sounded like they were made using cookie-cutter. i.e. they felt like cardboard characters. Thus, I think the author can do a better job at writing non-fiction / historical books, than fiction. I will surely try out any nonfiction, if Mark Fine writes one.

Would you ever listen to anything by Mark Fine again?

From this book, it is quite clear that Mark Fine had done the homework to write the story set in apartheid Africa. The geography and culture of that time and place are meticulously described in this book. Thus, I believe that Mark Fine has at least that quality down. But the main characters themselves sounded like they were made using cookie-cutter. i.e. they felt like cardboard characters. Thus, I think the author can do a better job at writing non-fiction / historical books, than fiction. I will surely try out any nonfiction, if Mark Fine writes one.

Was The Zebra Affaire worth the listening time?

If you want to get acquainted with the apartheid Africa, give this book a listen. It is worth the time in that aspect. Another book I would recommend is Born a crime.

Any additional comments?

I received this audiobook for free from the author / narrator / publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Informative and Engaging

I found this work of historical fiction to be both informative and engaging. The Zebra Affair was loaded with detailed information about the apartheid. In my opinion everyone should make it a point to learn about the apartheid...it wasn't that long ago that this shocking culture of institutional racism had an extreme stronghold in Africa. The Zebra Affair provides a cast of compelling fictional characters and their intertwining stories move along seamlessly to help the reader remain engaged from start to finish. The ending of the story felt a bit rushed but it still reached a satisfying conclusion. I also enjoyed the author's note at the end about Nelson Mandela. The reader was perfect...he was able to maintain multiple smooth and believable accents covering the various cultures of South Africa (for both male and female characters). Thank you Mr. Fine, Mr. Kleinman, and Audiobook Boom for a complimentary copy of this audiobook. I have written this fair and unbiased review of my own accord.

Romeo and Juliet in Apartheid

Would you listen to The Zebra Affaire again? Why?

I read the story and then listened to the audio.No matter how you experience the story, you pick up something you missed each time.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the conflict between the main character's emotional connection and the separation demanded by political and societal norms.

What does Dennis Kleinman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator's rich sonorous tones add depth and complexity to the descriptive language and the historical context of the story. This is something the casual reader might miss, especially if they were intent on focusing on the plot.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

The narration was too lengthy for one sitting. The narrator's voice was soothing and easy to listen to, but I needed a break.

Any additional comments?

Overall, this book is extremely well-written and the language is vivid and poetic. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the effects of apartheid at a very human level.