Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton


A beautifully written exploration of racial divisions that transports the reader into 1946 South Africa through Paton’s vivid descriptions of place and people.  Originally written around 1948, it’s themes of race, family, injustice, and political division ring as true today throughout our world as they did then.  Though this story is set in South Africa, there are people in every country who can find relevance in the issues raised in Cry, The Beloved Country because bigotry continues to find a home in the hearts of many.  There are still many in our world who are being treated unjustly due to their skin color, their political beliefs, their religion or lack thereof, or nationality.  Reading this books touches the heart and makes one long for a world where our differences no longer divide us but become a way for us to enrich one another’s lives.

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