People Like Ourselves

A sharply observed social novel of the new South Africa. Julia belongs to the inner circle of Johannesburg high society. It is rumoured that all those not invited to her wedding had to pretend to be out of town in order to save face. But in the New South Africa, things have changed. The days of tea on the lawn are over. Julia’s husband, Douglas, is a serial adulterer who is no longer willing to pay for the small luxuries she has always enjoyed. Her daughter has rebelled herself right out of her life. Julia doesn’t seem to be able to manage the “home workers,” who nowadays appear to come with a will of their own, and her best friend, Caroline, is quietly considering killing her husband. Now, Douglas’ ex-wife, who is never spoken of, is coming to visit from London bringing, no doubt, her politically correct credentials along with her. She says she’s coming to see Nelson (Mandela). This elegant, perceptive novel takes a wry look at the brave new world that is the “African miracle” today, where a woman’s social standing is no longer secured by the amount of starch in her table linen, and where it is too late to wish one had taken a stand against apartheid. “Closure” is the catchword of the day, but here it is applied not to truth and reconciliation as much as to moving to a gated community. It’s a new world, where anything can happen and nothing turns out quite the way you expect.