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These are some of the books our books editor received recently. They may be reviewed later

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I am Forbidden

by Anouk Markovits (Random House Struik, R215)

Atara and Mila are sisters born at the start of World War II into a deeply insular, ultra-orthodox, Jewish sect.

Mila is content to live within the constraints of what she has always known. But Atara, on the other hand, is consumed by questions – about arranged marriages, girls and education, the circumstances surrounding the escape of the sect’s leader during the war, and lots more.

As they grow up into adults and community rules force them apart, the two sisters find themselves thrown together in adulthood when a family secret threatens to make pariahs of them all.

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The Missing Rose

by Serdar Ozkan (Random House Struik, R185)

Diana is a willful young woman who, after the death of her mother, learns she has a twin sister.

Beautiful and wealthy, Diana is also confused and angry with life and so she sets out to find the twin she never knew she had.

As she searches for her twin Maria, she finds a magical garden in Istanbul, where she learns the philosophy of roses.

At home, in Rio, she meets the enigmatic artist Matthias, who also challenges her understanding of the world.

“The Missing Rose” is a tale of chance encounters, magical gardens and vibrant cityscapes and is billed as a modern-day fable about the wisdom of the heart.

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Transformations: Essays

by Imraan Coovadia (Umuzi, R220)

“Transformations” is a collection of essays on literature, society and culture by Imraan Coovadia.

Intelligent, readable and exploring a broad range of topics, Coovadia’s essays are summed up by Njabulo Ndebele: “Imraan Coovadia writes his essays with an exploratory authority that draws you in. Once in, you encounter his insights as an invitation to witness. Incrementally, the light he shares grows brighter.”

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Spanner in the Works

by Pat Fahrenfort (Umuzi, R180)

Spanner in the Works traces the life of this remarkable woman who began her working life on a factory floor and, by sheer determination and chutzpah, worked her way to Parliament.

Involving herself in the struggle for democracy, Fahrenfort moves from faculty officer at the University of the Western Cape to being part of the country’s first post-apartheid administration.

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The Hanging Wood

by Martin Edwards (Allison & Busby)

Twenty years after her brother Callum mysteriously vanished, Orla Payne is still haunted by his disappearance.

The police believed her uncle was behind the murder of her brother and, when he committed suicide in the Hanging Wood, closed the case.

Orla wants to find out what really happened all those years ago. She contacts DCI Hannah Scarlett, head of the Lake District’s Cold Case Review Team. Hannah doubts anything can be done on such a long-dead case. But then Orla herself is found dead.

Soon Hannah discovers the past is beginning to throw up dangerous truths indeed.

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Theodore Boone The Accused

by John Grisham (Hodder and Stoughton)

Theodore Boone is a 13-year-old who knows more about the law than most lawyers.

He certainly doesn’t expect to be a victim of crime himself. But then his bike is vandalised, he’s attacked, and he’s framed for a robbery. Stolen computer equipment lands up in his school locker and police start to lean on him.

Theodore is the only suspect and it looks as if his dreams of becoming a lawyer are going up in smoke.

In a race against time, Theodore has to find the real felon. - Meneesha Govender