hollymmcg's reviews
284 reviews

"It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of my own people became a hunger for the freedom of all people, white and black. I knew as well as I knew anything that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed. A man who takes away another man's freedom is a prisoner of hatred, he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else's freedom, just as surely as I am not free when my freedom is taken from me. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity.

When I walked out of prison, that was my mission, to liberate the oppressed and the oppressor both. Some say that has now been achieved. But I know that that is not the case. The truth is that we are not yet free; we have merely achieved the freedom to be free, the right not to be oppressed. We have not taken the final step of our journey, but the first step on a longer and even more difficult road. For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. The true test of our devotion to freedom is just beginning.

I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet ended."

As the descendant of a white South African, I felt it was imperative I read this book at least once in my lifetime. I admit I often struggle with reconciling the pride I have in being the granddaughter of a kind, caring, dedicated, and passionate man, who fostered a loving family and caring environment to grow up in, the pride I have in claiming heritage in one of the most beautiful countries on the planet, against the horrors of colonialism and Apartheid that my ancestors brought upon South Africa's peoples.

I was lucky enough to visit South Africa during Nelson Mandela's presidency, though I was only 7 years old at the time. I wish I could remember it better, I wish I was old enough to truly get a sense for the climate of the country, to learn about the work being done, and to talk to the African people about their history. I hope I can make it back there someday and do just that. My pride in where my family comes from remains, but I know that I must reflect and do the work in myself to dismantle the ingrained beliefs, conscious or unconscious, that come from being raised in a white supremacist society.

This book was powerful and inspiring; Nelson Mandela's commitment to ALL South Africans, regardless of race, is beautiful in its magnanimity and teaches a lot about caring for all humankind, regardless of creed and culture. I am positive I will return to it again.

Ugh DNFed this so hard. He started to lose me when the serial killer said he could feel his entire body "including the hair re-growing on his groin" and completely lost me when the two cops in the surveillance van were only ever referred to as the "fat one" and the "thin one" and called each other asshole every other sentence.

Look I'm a sucker for a slow burn but I swear to the heavens if this series ends in a doomed forever love I'm gonna scream