Books: Fiction

Chain of Fire

Book — Fiction. By Beverley Naidoo, illustrated by Eric Velasquez. 1993. 256 pages.
When the South African government forces a village to relocate, young protesters, who do not have the freedom of speech, organize a march against apartheid.

Time Periods: 1945, 1961, 1975, 20th Century
Themes: World History/Global Studies

chainoffire9780064404686In this sequel to Journey to Jo’burg, 13 year-old Naledi and her family face removal to a desolate reservation.

An outstanding book which powerfully mixes the stuff of ordinary, daily life with the larger stuff of political conflict and personal courage. The reader can imagine her or himself actually there in a rural black South African community. Accurate and moving, this is as good a book as her highly praised (and awarded) Journey to Jo’burg, though perhaps not as immediately popular, perhaps because it takes a political struggle (against the forced removal of the community) as its immediate story. [Description by Barbara Brown, Boston University, for Africa Access.]

ISBN: 9780064404686 | HarperCollins