Child of the River

Written by Irma Joubert

Narrated by Sarah Zimmerman

A timeless coming-of-age tale of heartbreak and triumph set in South Africa at the dawn of apartheid.

Persomi is young, white, and poor, born the middle child of illiterate sharecroppers on the prosperous Fourie farm in the South African Bushveld. Persomi’s world is extraordinarily small. She has never been to the local village and spends her days absorbed in the rhythms of the natural world around her, escaping the brutality and squalor of her family home through the newspapers and books passed down to her from the main house and through her walks in the nearby mountains.

Persomi’s close relationship with her older brother Gerbrand and her fragile friendship with Boelie Fourie—heir to the Fourie farm and fortune—are her lifeline and her only connection to the outside world. When Gerbrand leaves the farm to fight on the side of the Anglos in WWII and Boelie joins an underground network of Boer nationalists, Persomi’s isolated world is blown wide open. But as her very small world falls apart, bigger dreams open to her—dreams of an education, a profession, a native country that values justice and equality, and of love. As Persomi navigates the changing landscape around her—the tragedies of war and the devastating racial strife of her homeland—she finally discovers who she truly is, where she belongs, and why her life—and every life—matters.

The English language publication of Child of the River solidifies Irma Joubert as a unique and powerful voice in historical fiction.

“Filled with lessons of grace and love, Child of the River is a story that reminds us all to hold steady through life’s most fragile hours.” —Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of Perennials

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Oct 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9780718092184

Irma Joubert

International bestselling author Irma Joubert was a history teacher for 35 years before she began writing. Her stories are known for their deep insight into personal relationships and rich historical detail. She’s the author of eight novels and a regular fixture on bestseller lists in The Netherlands and in her native South Africa. She is the winner of the 2010 ATKV Prize for Romance Novels. Facebook: irmajoubertpage  

Reviews for Child of the River

[rumuse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book, set in South Africa in the years 1938 - 1968, centers around the life of Persome, a daughter in a dirt-poor white sharecropper family.

[vintagebeckie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Child of The River by Irma Joubert is one of the best novels I have ever read, and when I found that a second novel had been translated into English, I was excited to introduce this talented author to my book club. Child of The River again transports the reader to South Africa, this time spanning 30 years beginning in the pre-WWII years. Beautifully written, this novel is a hard book to read — abuse, prejudice, and nationalized separation of races — but has an underlying theme of hope in the face of injustice. My book club liked the book and appreciated the glimpse into a bygone time and foreign land.Persomi is a the daughter of a bywoner or sharecropper in the bushveld of South Africa. She looks on the lives of real people with the dream of one day being part of their world. A strong girl becomes a determined woman who faces head-on the unjust treatment and unfair laws of her country.The story is filled with compelling and complex characters, some we loved, others not so much. Women as portrayed in the novel are especially irritating, and there were a few we wished we could have shaken! The men are treated a bit more kindly with a few earning our admiration. Persomi is the main character, and we loved her sense of right and wrong, her desire to protect the underdog, and her gentle, yet firm manner in dealing with hard situations. There is also a love story that we loved, hated, and ultimately rejoiced in. The novel is published by Christian publisher, Thomas Nelson, and while it did not have an overt faith message, it was heavily influenced by the author’s Christian worldview.My book club and I really liked Child of The River, and welcome further translations of Joubert’s novels.Highly Recommended.Audience: adults.

[nadinec.keels · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"They were fighting for survival, she knew. Because their complexions were dark, their religion considered heathen, their traditions unfamiliar."Had she been foolish to take on this battle?"Growing up as a poor, white daughter of sharecroppers in South Africa during World War II, it seems that Pérsomi will have few options in life. When an unexpected chance at education opens up to her, it brings her into a new world of possibilities. But at this time of heightening social unrest in her country, her new world may be a difficult place to make a difference in Child of the River, a novel by author Irma Joubert.Pérsomi is an intelligent heroine full of quiet yearning, and my favorite parts of the story are when her simple, unlikely courage comes to the fore. She has a heart for seeking justice, and for better or for worse, that heart is put to the test in the face of apartheid. Also, as I've read a number of novels that deal with WWII, it was interesting to observe some effects of the war from Pérsomi's part of the globe.However, when it came to much of her personal life, I found the novel pretty hard to read. Yes, any strong story needs some sort of believable conflict, challenge, or adversity from which to create a plot. But when a book starts to feel like a downer overall, it usually isn't my cup of tea. It seems this story goes from generally sober, then to gloomy, and then to downright depressing, without enough moments of light or fire to balance it out for me. Once I reached the end of the book, I wasn't quite sure if the conclusion was a natural outcome or if it was something to placate me, more or less, after all the gloom.Still, admiring and relating to this flawed but able heroine kept me intrigued enough to stick with her story._________________BookLook Bloggers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

[lanehillhouse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wednesday, December 14, 2016Child of the River by Irma Joubert, © 2016[Translation: Else Silke]How can the outlook for the children in the same family be viewed so differently? Pérsomi has a special rest place in the mountains that enables her to return to her sharecropper home on the Fourie farm in the South African Bushveld. As her legs carry her swiftly to her place of rest, her heart regains its regular life flow. Aspiring to extend her learning, she borrows day old newspapers from the Big House to absorb beyond her boundaries. She has not been to the village beyond where her older brother, Gerbrand, goes to obtain employment and eventually leaves home. Respectful but apart, Pérsomi watches as her family suddenly disperses in different directions, some inward, others distantly removed.As Pérsomi is permitted to attend further schooling from her meager seclusion, she excels and promotes jealousy and verbal assault within her hearing from the daughter of the wealthy farm owner on whose land she and her family live. Within a speaking friendship with the older son, Boelie Fourie, she realizes she can be real ~ not separate unseen.War causes division within the straits of land and political astute followings, dissenters and proponents who presume rightful inheritance of justice within their ranks. Pérsomi becomes a strong ally to her brother and Boelie as they struggle to maintain a sense of home.The friendships Pérsomi makes at school and her zeal to run promote her groundings in learning and a release in exercise through athletic events. I was amazed at her concentration as she cycled within her two environments, academically and returning to her given home.Between changing tensions and views, Pérsomi continues to pursue her goals, revealing the intent of her heart to healing and hope.International bestselling author Irma Joubert was a history teacher for 35 years before she began writing. Her stories are known for their deep insight into personal relationships and rich historical detail. She’s the author of eight novels and a regular fixture on bestseller lists in The Netherlands and in her native South Africa. She is the winner of the 2010 ATKV Prize for Romance Novels.***Thank you to TNZ Fiction Guild for sending me a review copy. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***

[beamis12 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The bushveld, South Africa, Parsomi and her family are bywoners. Yes, I had to look this term up, they are tenant farmers, farm the owners land but allowed to fame some on their own. They are poor, their home a crumbling wreck most of the time, often wondering where the money for their next meal will come from and their father isms terrible man. Parsomi though, is smart, has dreams. She is closest to her elder brother and a young man named Boelie. These two will play different but significant roles in her life.The beginning of apartheid, the political climate of the forties and fifties, not an easy time, a time of great civil unrest, loved the intermingling of this history with the story of Persomi and her family, friends. Her character is wonderfully drawn, she is caring to her family, but even at a young age she is willing to give voice to injustice, unfairness. This is her story with the political maneuvering sometimes taking center stage, sometimes as a background. I also loved the way this was written, it flowed beautifully, the style not overly dramatic just extremely well written. I became immersed in Persomi's life, applauded her successes and felt her sorrow. Her joirney is a remarkable one and she is first a striving girl and then a young woman willing to do anything for those close to her and for those trying to right a wrong. Wonderful, heartfelt story.