I must begin this entry by mentioning that I read this book in a record 4 days. I bathed with it, sat in the grass under the trees with it, let it take over my lunch breaks and while I cannot confirm this, I might have have stolen a few moments in church to read it. It felt good being enthralled by a book. It felt like coming back home to myself - which is something all the main characters of this book can relate to.
"They got to you too" is a transformative piece of work that so easily transcends through the different eras our country has suffered and survived through. Ntshingila flexes her talent and way with words by telling each character's story in a way that transports you into their reality.
Futhi Ntshingila so beautifully weaves words like a talented seamstress, creating stories that feel like a warm quilt on your shoulders after a day out in the cold.
This story is told mostly through Madala, a former soldier, Apartheid Police Officer and a resident at an age home; and Zoe his new night nurse. It shows how unhealed trauma travels through generations and that it only takes one person to break the cycle. Through it we learn the power of indoctrination and unforgiveness, and how the Mandela Effect can turn them into murderous monsters.
More than anything, it shows the might of love and grace. It proves how sometimes it is the softest touch that can thaw years of hatred, pain, guilt and shame. Futhi's words illustrate how beyond war, segregation, time apart, trauma and race, we are all people who love, who feel and who can heal not only ourselves but also the people around us and generations to come.
Futhi Ntshingila so beautifully weaves words like a talented seamstress, creating stories that feel like a warm quilt on your shoulders after a day out in the cold. Her stories are relatable, comforting and affirming.
This book has left me forever changed, and I hope to apply the care and grace that Zoe had in dealing with Madala and the pain of both their pasts.
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