Customer Reviews

The South Africa of His Heart: A Memoir about Love, Loss and Serendipity

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Over the years, I have been acquainted with the work of this delightful writer through her various short stories, essays and articles on diverse topics. I have been eagerly awaiting her production of this marvelous work, and it was every bit worth the wait! Throughout this introspective book, the author's descriptive prose and melodic sentence structure serve to deeply involve the reader into the ups and downs and twists and turns of her life. This is definitely a rewarding read and I urge you not to miss it!

I enjoyed this book immensely. It was definitely a page turner. Many times I found myself not wanting to put the book down. The author brought to life the scenic locations of New York, London, Paris, the Caribbean and Los Angeles in a way I haven't read about in a long time. The storm scenes in the Caribbean made me feel like I was experiencing a hurricane for the first time. I was enchanted by the weekend in Paris. Being from Los Angeles I thoroughly enjoyed reading about familiar locations throughout the city. I especially loved the references to UCLA. Reading about Sipho's lasting impression on his homeland through Davida's email communications with his family and fellow countryman was educational indeed. It's nice to read that even when you come out of a life of difficulty (time in Philadelphia) you can turn your life around. It was just a marvelous uplifting story and I can't wait to buy her next book.

This is the most beautiful book I have ever read. I normally don't read many biographies or autobiographies, but this one touched my soul. I laughed and cried with the author and her miraculous journey throughout her life. I live in Los Angeles and work at UCLA and could see and feel the atmosphere of her life here. The way she described the Carribean almost made me feel like I had lived there myself, although I have never been there. Her love and support for Sipho went beyond comprehension and is a rare thing nowadays. Ms. Siwisa James has been through so much on her life's journey and I wish her nothing but peace and happiness.

"The South Africa of His Heart" is a really great memoir that holds the reader's attention from the very beginning and doesn't disappoint at the end. I read the last few pages twice because I was so moved by the wonderful sense of satisfaction at the writer's life journey. And not all novels leave you with that feeling of completeness...with just a great ending. "Serendipity" is really apropos in the subtitle.

Though the central story is about an African-American woman and the lasting effect on her life by her marriage to a South African man in exile, it is not a novel geared to one race or sex. It would be unfair to say it's a novel that is for women or to profile it in any way as targeted to one group. I enjoyed it so much because it just spoke to my heart and anyone who has loved and lost love, or had joy and sadness in their life will enjoy it. And that's just about everyone!

I think this book proves that it's not just the rich and famous who have interesting stories to tell (as usually written by ghostwriters) in terms of autobiography. It really shows you that everyday people can often live interesting, exciting lives that are worth reading about. It was a fascinating story about a woman who had an ordinary, but at times, really extraordinary life. And the author, Davida Siwisa James, has a way of sharing events in her life that puts you right in the middle of what she is experiencing. There's a scene with a hurricane in the tropics where you can 'feel' the wind blowing! She has a true gift for words that are beautiful to read and very moving.

It's great to take a chance on a new novelist sometimes. This was a real treat.