The World Beneath: A Novel

by Janice Warman Narrated by Debi Hawkins

Overview

South Africa, 1976: Joshua lives with his mother in the maid's room located in the backyard of their wealthy white employers' house in a city by the sea. While he initially doesn't quite understand the anti-apartheid struggle going on around him, his rescue of a stranger and the riots that begin to sweep the country put him face-to-face with it. As he discovers the despair weighing down the world beneath him, he must make heartbreaking decisions that will change his life forever. In this genuine, quietly unflinching, and beautifully nuanced novel, a veteran journalist captures a child's-eye view of the struggle that shaped a nation and riveted the world.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A good complement to nonfiction about apartheid South Africa, a little-explored place and period in children's literature.
—Kirkus Reviews

Set in 1970s South Africa, this tale is about Joshua, a young boy struggling to survive the racial legacy of apartheid...the work serves to address a critical aspect of world history and can be a valuable addition to school libraries.
—School Library Journal

Through the eyes of an innocent boy trying to fathom the injustice and brutality of apartheid, as well as his own potentially violent role in the struggle, Warman presents a gripping personal portrait of a horrific chapter in South Africa’s history.
—Publishers Weekly

In this slim, tightly constructed novel, Warman stays true to the narrow perspective of the naive country boy observing an uprising in a city he scarcely knows.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

The succinct and specific prose will transport readers to a pivotal moment in history...Through a child’s eyes, Warman perfectly captures the discovery of white privilege and the intentional creation of two distinct worlds just as their dividers come crumbling down.
—Booklist

South African journalist Janice Warman introduces young readers to that terrifying circumstance in “The World Beneath,” a humane and thoughtful exploration of a young Xhosa boy’s political awakening...Spanning two turbulent years, this novel for readers 11 and older movingly depicts moments of moral courage in a society on the edge of violent upheaval.
—The Wall Street Journal

Kirkus Reviews

2016-02-02
Warman turns her journalistic talents to historical fiction in her debut novel about the struggle to end apartheid in South Africa and how it shapes a young boy's life. It's 1976. Joshua lives with his mother, who is the maid in a rich white family's house. He stays out of sight most days, especially when Mr. Malherbe and his violent temper come home. Warman carefully layers the power structures and relationships in the house to create a taut atmosphere. The tension builds when Joshua helps Tsumalo, a freedom fighter who is on the run from the South African police. An altercation with the police sends Joshua running for his life, and from that point on he becomes the readers' eyes into the anti-apartheid movement. Each chapter feels thoroughly researched, with details about Joshua's life at a training camp and his return to Cape Town. Joshua grapples with moral questions throughout the book: what does freedom look like? What will be his role in it? And will vengeance bring him peace? Though the didactic tone of the narrative at times makes the story feel distant, these emotional moments with Joshua put heart back into the book. A good complement to nonfiction about apartheid South Africa, a little-explored place and period in children's literature. (glossary, author's note, letter from Amnesty International) (Historical fiction. 11-16)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940175639323
Publisher:	Dreamscape Media
Publication date:	04/25/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged

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