These are some of the books our books editor, Meneesha Govender, received recently. They may be reviewed later
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The Ties that Bind
by Praba Moodley (Kwela, R195)
Gaya, Suhina and Rupa have been friends for years.
Their friendship is woven around a secret they have carried with them for many years. Now, the past is about to resurface in unexpected ways. The test is whether the friends can finally make peace with what happened in the early 1990s, or whether the ties that bind them will drag them under.
This fourth novel is a departure from Praba Moodley’s first three novels – all historical sagas – but promises to be another great read.
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Broken Monsters
by Lauren Beukes (Umuzi, R200)
Detective Gabriella Versado is dealing with an unusual case.
The body of a half-boy, half-deer has been found on the streets of Detroit. This is merely the first such body discovered.
As Gabi is dealing with the most harrowing case of her career, she is also struggling with being a single mother to a troubled teen daughter, Layla – who is in a dangerous online game with a predator.
Broken Monsters is a dark thriller that, if you are a fan of Lauren Beukes’s novels, will pull you in from page one.
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The Pearl that Broke Its Shell
by Nadia Hashimi (William Morrow)
In Kabul, 2007, the Taliban is in control.
Rahima and her sisters live with their drug-addict father and can rarely leave the house or go to school. Their only hope lies in ancient Afghan custom – bacha posh. This allows Rahima to dress and be treated as a son until she is of marriageable age.
As a boy Rahima tastes unimaginable freedom – and it will change her forever. A hundred years ago her great-great-grandmother Shekiba also built a new life in the same way. The Pearl that Broke its Shell interweaves these remarkable women’s stories. Despite being separated by a century, they share the same courage in a world where women are denied the most basic of freedoms.