Tony Eprile

Although somewhat difficult to read due to many Afrikaner words and other words not in my vocabulary, this still held my attention. Paul Sweetbread is an overweight Jewish young man living with his mother who also has an incredible ability to remember all details. At the beginning of the story he is a student in a suburb of Johannesburg learning the "sanitized" version of history as recalled by the whites. After high school he is drafted into the South African Army and soon finds himself on the border of Namibia and Angola where supposedly South Africa is not involved.

The book covers much of the cruelty of the Angola war and the aftermath of apartheid. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is an attempt by the country to sort out past crimes and cruelties. Paul's experience in the army involves a cruel massacre which leads him to a mental breakdown. Told with humor and a start realism, the book paints a picture of South Africa as seem by many. Memory depends on who is remembering.… (plus d'informations)