"In South Africa we are learning to heal through the telling of stories like these, for it is only through telling that we heal." -Archbishop Desmond Tutu Through powerful personal narratives and photographs, this remarkable book brings together twelve South African teenagers whose distinct voices illuminate their experiences under apartheid and the joyous yet challenging years of freedom since. In their own words, these teens reveal what it was like to grow up in a country bitterly divided by racial separation, violence, and poverty. Eighteen-year-old Bandile Mashinini tells of police breaking down his door night after night because of his family's outspoken resistance to apartheid. Sixteen-year-old Ricardo Thando Tollie speaks of living in a tin shack only a few miles from the elegant houses of white suburbs. And fifteen-year-old Leandra Jansen van Vuuren describes her isolated childhood as a white South African, taught only to fear and mistrust people with skin darker than her own. But here, too, are stories of hope; of a willingness to reach out, to forgive, and to heal. Although they speak with a diverse range of voices, experiences, and attitudes, these young people are united in the belief that the new South Africa will truly be different from the one they have known. Their lives stand testament to the power and resilience of the human spirit and to a country's ability to redefine itself.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
This simple collection of first person stories and compelling black-and-white photos offers more insight into South Africa than a year's worth of newspapers. Twelve South African teenagers of different races and backgrounds recount their experiences under Apartheid and the slowly dawning awareness that life in their divided nation might one day be different. The authors are Americans who have worked with young people in South Africa, and the refreshingly frank teen subjects offer an uncensored look at prejudice in their own families and communities. These young people are not too embarrassed to admit that they were taught racist values, but neither are they closed to change and forgiveness. "When I was small I was told I had to stay away from black people," says one white South African, who finally connected with kids of other races after spending the weekend at a multiracial camp. "I feel like a pressure has gone off my shoulders." This book will inspire readers--young and old, and from all nations--to lift the weight of prejudice from their own lives. --Maria Dolan
From Publishers Weekly
Though their country is still bitterly divided by race, "most South Africans seem to share an almost uncanny confidence that... a stable, vibrant nation will emerge," claims the author of this hope-filled volume of profiles. In their own words, 12 teens representing the country's many ethnic groups (African, Coloured, Indian and white) describe the harsh realities of their lives under apartheid and the ways things have changed since the election of President Nelson Mandela. Some of the teens hint at the complex problems their country still faces?a Coloured girl who once didn't feel "white" enough now doesn't feel black enough; a young activist is frustrated by his peers' lack of political involvement?but none espouses extreme positions (no white featured here still believes in apartheid, for example). Their predominantly upbeat attitude, as well as McKee's informative, if occasionally overly politically correct, introductions to each profile keep the book focused on the promise that lies ahead, rather than the difficulties. Although the composition of the black-and-white photographs tends toward the unimaginative, the soft-focus style of the portraits complements the text's optimistic tone. What carries this volume is the vitality of the teens' voices themselves, and their impassioned debate of universal issues of poverty, racism, faith and reconciliation. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An honest, eloquent and visually stunning educational tool!,
By A Customer
This review is from: No More Strangers Now (Hardcover)
As an avid reader and a teacher, I love this book! I have been savouring it for breakfast, a chapter a day, careful not to read too much and exceed my emotional limits, often moved to tears, and always impressed by the strength and passion of the young South Africans. Not only is it a joy to read, it is one of the most educationally exciting books I have ever discovered. What a great tool for opening the minds of young people around the world and helping them to seize on both their own place in history and their ability to shape the future. The voice and image of young South Africa is so poignantly conveyed, I feel as if I have just returned from an intensely revealing reality tour, making several great friends in the process. In No More Strangers Now, Blackshaw and McKee have delivered an honest, eloquent and visually stunning breakthrough!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beyond Black and White,
By A Customer
This review is from: No More Strangers Now (Hardcover)
Tim McKee and Anne Blackshaw have collaborated on an important book that speaks to anyone who is interested on where South Africa is headed and where it has been. In words and photographs, the two capture the mixture of hope, confusion and uncertainty that these young South Africans face in their changing nation. Their words are frank. Their photos compelling.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a really good book.,
By A Customer
This review is from: No More Strangers Now (Hardcover)
No More Strangers Now is a good book.It tells about how people would fight for their lives.How they would sometimes hide in their houses because some people would break in and shoot them.It had a lot of violence in it but it would teach you how white people would treat people of color. The book was very good.I think the last chapter was the best. It told about teenagers that were Chinnesse,Afican,Japansse,White,and Mexican.They were all friends they slept over. They even go to the mall. People would just stare at them,thinking they were wierd.I would like everybody to read this book - No More Strangers Now.
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