It is a searing account of the inhumanity of apartheid told in a lyrical voice which emphasises Paton's love for the land and people of South Africa, and his hope for a change in the future. The publication of Cry, The Beloved Country (1948) made him one of South Africa's best known writers. The dramatic career change to director of a reformatory for black youths at Diepkloof, near Johannesburg, had a profound effect on his thinking. He started his career by teaching at a school in Ixopo where he met and married his first wife. But hate no man, and desire power over no man.Alan Stewart Paton was born and educated in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. It is good that a young man has such deep thoughts. In one scene, Kumalo, speaking to a farmer who he fears has become too radicalized, says, 'I cannot stop you from thinking your thoughts. And Paton captures perfectly the difficulty of non-violent resistance. It's a beautiful book - lyrical without being maudlin, lofty but unpretentious. And when he finds that his son has been arrested for the murder of a white activist for racial equality, and is scheduled to be executed, he begins working for reconciliation and justice. Kumalo is a quiet, unassuming man who relies on his faith to get him through tough circumstances. The book, by white South African writer Alan Paton, begins with the story of a black South African priest, Stephen Kumalo, who goes to search for his lost son, Absalom. But it gives a haunting image of a truly divided society. The novel predates Mandela's career as an activist it was published in 1948, just months before apartheid was made law in South Africa. If you want to understand the world Nelson Mandela grew up in, there's no better book than Cry, the Beloved Country. Published well before many Mandela obits open, Alan Paton's seminal novel explores the human anguish wrought by an inhumane system.

That's why, on weekends on All Things Considered, reporter and writer Kevin Roose suggests a book to cast light on the South Africa in which Mandela came of age. With each new obituary and official statement, Mandela's life comes more clearly into view, even as the context that gave shape to his struggle risks getting lost behind his iconic stature.

Mourners count among their number leaders from dozens of countries, including American presidents and Iran's Hassan Rouhani.Ĭommemorations such as these may serve to remember the man, but they also seek to understand his complex legacy, known as much for unbending principle as for compromise. Since the death of anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, tributes and memorials have poured in from around the globe. A file photo dated 1961 of South African anti-apartheid leader and African National Congress (ANC) member Nelson Mandela.

The beloved country by alan paton