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The Sabi
She does not know how, but has a sabi from her earliest memory that she was different. What she does know is that 'difference' had currency in the past, and it certainly still has currency today. The Sabi will have an effect on you - have no doubt about that. In her debut novel, Diane Brown takes a scenic and open-eyed walk down memory lane to the 1960's when apartheid was in full swing to the early 1990's when South Africa was beginning to sense freedom. She ventures further back in time to help solve the puzzle of the current time, how did South Africa become so angry and so violent? Writing from the heart to relate the events of her childhood and adolescence, the author takes you on a journey that will make you cry and laugh along with her as she tried to make sense of her life, the people around her and the system into which she was born. She is no doubt left extremely vulnerable and exposed in relating this account of her life. This honesty is anchored in an easy writing style which is deeply reflective, with an acute sense of contextual reasoning. She reflects on the news of the day in a 'free' country, tainted with the heavy stench of death, violence and abuse and notes that all too familiar script. She finally realises... Her story must be told.
Themes covered in this book: Race, Colorism, Violence, South Africa, Apartheid, Acceptance, Prejudice, Coming-of-age, Love, Liberation
Themes covered in this book: Race, Colorism, Violence, South Africa, Apartheid, Acceptance, Prejudice, Coming-of-age, Love, Liberation
254 pages, Paperback
First published June 13, 2013
About the author
Diane Brown
3 books41 followersDiane Malaika Brown was raised in Swaziland and South Africa. She enjoys travelling, reading, writing and mentoring.
She is often quoted as saying "Our stories are important and need to be told" - this underlying her view that Africans need to write more to document history from their point of view, to sustain culture, to reflect society to itself and to speak truth to power.
Diane speaks out boldly against injustice, inequality, racism and sexism.
She is often quoted as saying "Our stories are important and need to be told" - this underlying her view that Africans need to write more to document history from their point of view, to sustain culture, to reflect society to itself and to speak truth to power.
Diane speaks out boldly against injustice, inequality, racism and sexism.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 18, 2014
This is an autobiographical work,a coming-of-age book of the author, Diane Brown, that depicts her struggles as a black woman trying to navigate a racist Apartheid society. This book includes a history lesson that is very important to know, especially to someone like me who had never really questioned how Apartheid came about.
Born in the 1960s, a decade of so much change in the world, the author stresses the importance of knowing one's history:
“The winds of change were blowing over Africa too and over a period of eight years between 1960 and 1968, thirty two countries gained independence from their European colonisers.”
This book puts you in the skin of a black woman growing up in Apartheid South Africa. Not only that, it helps to show how the abuse children and women experience has its roots in the evil system. Brown did not shy away from discussing the violence and abuse. This is a story that makes you wonder of the immense number of stories on racism out there.
I so appreciated the honesty, the candour, the exploration of themes that are so important to discuss, themes that are often swept under a rug in Africa and in the rest of the world. Issues like colourism and hair texture are talked about. Some shocking things like the "Pencil Test" to test racial purity made me shake my head in disbelief, though I have heard about the "Paper Bag" test in some American sororities.
I enjoyed this book because instead of taking all the stuff that happens to her and all that she has to witness, the author tries to understand the reasons these things happen. The self-awareness seems to be something that is continuing until this day:
"But as I have grown I have come to realise that there are contradictions, dualities and surprises in us all. That each of us always and already has the ability to be both demon and angel, that we can have incredible strengths and display weaknesses in the most bizarre forms, that we can be dull and boring but also creative and intriguing. Mostly I have become aware that all or any of these abilities can be revealed at any time. It is like we are ticking time bombs waiting for life to present us with situations that allow each of these to be manifested."
And I must say, for me personally this is one of the strongest quotes in the book, one I can relate to on a very personal level:
"What always first defined you was the colour of your skin. It didn’t matter that I loved to sing, had a good knack for languages, had an incredible memory for things I deemed important or that I loved being alone. All other characteristics both internal and external were secondary or, more precisely, invisible, always subject to what colour you are."
The realities of race are something many of us cannot deny. I love books like this that don't shy away from being honest about the struggles when many people want for us to believe that we live in a postracial world (the "I don't see race" folk). Although Brown's book is mainly about Apartheid, so many of the issues she detailed are very much with us today, just look at Ferguson, Missouri:
"The truth is that when you grow up being or feeling less than, you have to work so much harder at everything, just to get to par on the golf course of life. When you start at the first hole, you are already eighteen over par, and to make it, just to keep up, you have to sink birdies and eagles. To really win, even a par score on any one of the holes is just not good enough. You can try many courses, work very hard for very long, employ tremendous spells of concentration, practise hard for hours each day, endure hours in the blazing sun; and it is never good enough. And then one moment in your very tiring lifetime you realise that it requires too much effort, the decks are stacked too heavily against you. It is time to stop playing the game, or get busy changing the rules of the game."
Not the easiest of subject matters to get through but very very important for us to acknowledge racist histories and the legacies they left behind.
Born in the 1960s, a decade of so much change in the world, the author stresses the importance of knowing one's history:
“The winds of change were blowing over Africa too and over a period of eight years between 1960 and 1968, thirty two countries gained independence from their European colonisers.”
This book puts you in the skin of a black woman growing up in Apartheid South Africa. Not only that, it helps to show how the abuse children and women experience has its roots in the evil system. Brown did not shy away from discussing the violence and abuse. This is a story that makes you wonder of the immense number of stories on racism out there.
I so appreciated the honesty, the candour, the exploration of themes that are so important to discuss, themes that are often swept under a rug in Africa and in the rest of the world. Issues like colourism and hair texture are talked about. Some shocking things like the "Pencil Test" to test racial purity made me shake my head in disbelief, though I have heard about the "Paper Bag" test in some American sororities.
I enjoyed this book because instead of taking all the stuff that happens to her and all that she has to witness, the author tries to understand the reasons these things happen. The self-awareness seems to be something that is continuing until this day:
"But as I have grown I have come to realise that there are contradictions, dualities and surprises in us all. That each of us always and already has the ability to be both demon and angel, that we can have incredible strengths and display weaknesses in the most bizarre forms, that we can be dull and boring but also creative and intriguing. Mostly I have become aware that all or any of these abilities can be revealed at any time. It is like we are ticking time bombs waiting for life to present us with situations that allow each of these to be manifested."
And I must say, for me personally this is one of the strongest quotes in the book, one I can relate to on a very personal level:
"What always first defined you was the colour of your skin. It didn’t matter that I loved to sing, had a good knack for languages, had an incredible memory for things I deemed important or that I loved being alone. All other characteristics both internal and external were secondary or, more precisely, invisible, always subject to what colour you are."
The realities of race are something many of us cannot deny. I love books like this that don't shy away from being honest about the struggles when many people want for us to believe that we live in a postracial world (the "I don't see race" folk). Although Brown's book is mainly about Apartheid, so many of the issues she detailed are very much with us today, just look at Ferguson, Missouri:
"The truth is that when you grow up being or feeling less than, you have to work so much harder at everything, just to get to par on the golf course of life. When you start at the first hole, you are already eighteen over par, and to make it, just to keep up, you have to sink birdies and eagles. To really win, even a par score on any one of the holes is just not good enough. You can try many courses, work very hard for very long, employ tremendous spells of concentration, practise hard for hours each day, endure hours in the blazing sun; and it is never good enough. And then one moment in your very tiring lifetime you realise that it requires too much effort, the decks are stacked too heavily against you. It is time to stop playing the game, or get busy changing the rules of the game."
Not the easiest of subject matters to get through but very very important for us to acknowledge racist histories and the legacies they left behind.
August 9, 2016
I loved this book from beginning to end. I don't read many novels but this one got me going, and then some. It is a beautifully written story, although there are some areas that are difficult to read. Many of my family members have now read the book and their response simply confirms how important this kind of book is.
Many times these stories are only reported in statistics but this book brings to life everyday issues of duality of the human condition, of violence and its roots, of the real impact of colorism and on the realities of racism
I would recommend this book to both black and white because the story will make the world a better place. We can all learn from the spirit of this author.
I was disturbed and discomforted at times, and then there were times that I was soothed and reassured about how great the human spirit can be, to overcome. It is indeed great to find an author that looks beyond the symptoms and urges us to understand why things happen and at the same time challenges us to be better, without actually asking us to be. I was totally inspired after reading this book. As a man I found myself examining the attitudes of men in society and I wanted to be better without feeling judged, but always through understanding
It is rare to find an author that is this generous with her inner thoughts and sentiments, while taking us on her journey of life. Perhaps more accurate she displays bravery and courage
I also got to learn alot about South Africa and realised how similar some of the issues are between South Africa and the United States. The story is elevated because she situates the journey she takes us on, within historical and political context. It is quite a brilliant book
This is a book that every black person in the USA should read. Highly recommend
Many times these stories are only reported in statistics but this book brings to life everyday issues of duality of the human condition, of violence and its roots, of the real impact of colorism and on the realities of racism
I would recommend this book to both black and white because the story will make the world a better place. We can all learn from the spirit of this author.
I was disturbed and discomforted at times, and then there were times that I was soothed and reassured about how great the human spirit can be, to overcome. It is indeed great to find an author that looks beyond the symptoms and urges us to understand why things happen and at the same time challenges us to be better, without actually asking us to be. I was totally inspired after reading this book. As a man I found myself examining the attitudes of men in society and I wanted to be better without feeling judged, but always through understanding
It is rare to find an author that is this generous with her inner thoughts and sentiments, while taking us on her journey of life. Perhaps more accurate she displays bravery and courage
I also got to learn alot about South Africa and realised how similar some of the issues are between South Africa and the United States. The story is elevated because she situates the journey she takes us on, within historical and political context. It is quite a brilliant book
This is a book that every black person in the USA should read. Highly recommend
November 5, 2013
Book Review: Written by Kutloano Kunutu (published in Carob Magazine, August 2013) (5 star rating)
The Sabi is the debut novel of Diane Brown from South Africa. It is a book of knowing. Knowing without being taught or shown. Just knowing.
Set in the height of apartheid South Africa, this book is a richly interwoven account and reflection of the personal story of Diane Brown, with that of the violent and turbulent history of South Africa. The two stories come together so seamlessly because you could never really have one without the other. The Sabi is an autobiography simply told and honestly written.
It is a powerful story, of a young girl trying to find her place in the racially classified and divided society that she is born into. She has a sabi, a knowing, from when she could remember that she was different, and that that difference meant something. This plays out in various interactions with the people around her and the situations she encounters from her early childhood into her adolescence and finally when she has come of age. She talks openly about hair and skin tones and the pressure to alter these to fit in. Within her own story she reflects on events in the world and in the country that ultimately shape her thoughts and who she becomes.
As much as this is Diane’s story, it is very much her father’s story. He is an undeniably strong and impactful character throughout the book and he is the vehicle she uses to bring together her thoughts and her unease on issues of race, skin colour, gender and violence in South Africa and the world. The duality of his character is often exposed; the good versus bad, the charming versus the vicious, the generous versus the stringent. The story reflects this duality, how the two sides of his character seem to fight each other, and yet compliment and ultimately cannot be separated from each other. This book holds up the mirror to the duality of the South African society we live in today. In her own words she states, "There is a duality to South Africa, as in all of life itself, that is evident, and as stark as the inequality among its citizens."
This story is harrowing and it succeeds in relating what could be happening inside the angry and the violent. On reflecting on her childhood she says, "I could always see when that thing, that caused him to want to lash out at someone was building inside of him. It was as if he had something in him that he needed to get out of himself and the only way he could quieten it was to hit someone." Later in the book she describes that 'thing" inside of her. There are moments so brutal, as when she describes the actions of a woman she names Cruella in the book, so tragic you are almost too afraid to read for what it might reveal; but there are also moments that shine so bright; a grandmothers touch, a mothers quiet love, the adventures and discovery of true friends who provide solace and humorous moments, and then the love of someone who finally 'sees' her and fights for and stands up for her.
The Sabi is filled with turbulence, it’s filled with violence, it’s filled with contradictions, it’s filled with music and it’s filled with love, passion, reflection, growth and acceptance. It is no longer just Diane Brown’s story it is South Africa’s story.
I highly recommend this book to young and old of all races around the world, as each are reflected in these pages.
(This review was published in Carob Magazine - August 2013
The Sabi is the debut novel of Diane Brown from South Africa. It is a book of knowing. Knowing without being taught or shown. Just knowing.
Set in the height of apartheid South Africa, this book is a richly interwoven account and reflection of the personal story of Diane Brown, with that of the violent and turbulent history of South Africa. The two stories come together so seamlessly because you could never really have one without the other. The Sabi is an autobiography simply told and honestly written.
It is a powerful story, of a young girl trying to find her place in the racially classified and divided society that she is born into. She has a sabi, a knowing, from when she could remember that she was different, and that that difference meant something. This plays out in various interactions with the people around her and the situations she encounters from her early childhood into her adolescence and finally when she has come of age. She talks openly about hair and skin tones and the pressure to alter these to fit in. Within her own story she reflects on events in the world and in the country that ultimately shape her thoughts and who she becomes.
As much as this is Diane’s story, it is very much her father’s story. He is an undeniably strong and impactful character throughout the book and he is the vehicle she uses to bring together her thoughts and her unease on issues of race, skin colour, gender and violence in South Africa and the world. The duality of his character is often exposed; the good versus bad, the charming versus the vicious, the generous versus the stringent. The story reflects this duality, how the two sides of his character seem to fight each other, and yet compliment and ultimately cannot be separated from each other. This book holds up the mirror to the duality of the South African society we live in today. In her own words she states, "There is a duality to South Africa, as in all of life itself, that is evident, and as stark as the inequality among its citizens."
This story is harrowing and it succeeds in relating what could be happening inside the angry and the violent. On reflecting on her childhood she says, "I could always see when that thing, that caused him to want to lash out at someone was building inside of him. It was as if he had something in him that he needed to get out of himself and the only way he could quieten it was to hit someone." Later in the book she describes that 'thing" inside of her. There are moments so brutal, as when she describes the actions of a woman she names Cruella in the book, so tragic you are almost too afraid to read for what it might reveal; but there are also moments that shine so bright; a grandmothers touch, a mothers quiet love, the adventures and discovery of true friends who provide solace and humorous moments, and then the love of someone who finally 'sees' her and fights for and stands up for her.
The Sabi is filled with turbulence, it’s filled with violence, it’s filled with contradictions, it’s filled with music and it’s filled with love, passion, reflection, growth and acceptance. It is no longer just Diane Brown’s story it is South Africa’s story.
I highly recommend this book to young and old of all races around the world, as each are reflected in these pages.
(This review was published in Carob Magazine - August 2013
August 3, 2014
"... each hoping that things will get better as we find our way back to ubuntu"
Brown's story is fraught with violence, all of it growing out of colonisation and colonial power struggles in South Africa (all the way back to the Boer war, which I knew next to nothing about before). That abused people and groups become abusive, that violence and hate seem to have to go somewhere, whether outward or inward, are bleak knowings that emerge from this book. Yet the love Brown speaks of, for her husband, her friends, her daughter, and for music, seems deep and sweet powerful enough, angled through her, to somehow, some day, defeat all of that violence and bitterness.
On the significance of hair as a hierarchy-marker in White supremacy Brown is very informative. She also briefly discusses the economic effects of apartheid-based infrastructure planning policies, which is something I'd never thought of, but must, as a persisting structure, make it more difficult to dismantle segregation.
The language of this book made it difficult for me at first. The difference between the South African English used by Brown and the literary British & US English I am more used to made her sentences seem clunky, stilted, and the words and expressions didn't flow. This barrier soon dissolved, partly because I was compelled by her story, and I found that I began to have a rare experience: I 'heard' the voice of the author speaking as I read, which made me empathise with her more strongly, as if we were talking on the phone.
Towards the end of the book she speaks about her writing and experience of flow. For me this is more evident in her style than in any other author's: sections of the book feel deliberate, laborious, putting one word in front of another, while others, particularly when she describes moments of love and joy, seem as fluid and musical as song.
November 8, 2013
Very few books cut right deep into one's emotions like this book does. I often had to put it down to compose myself.
Absolutely beautiful. Diane bravely ventures into her past, exploring some very personal issues from her childhood and young adulthood, and how she met her soulmate.
In the book, Diane reveals the raw nature of the South African family structure, a feature many will relate to.
The story is so beautifully told, it can be easily turned into a movie, showing the resilience and strength of one of many strong women we have in South Africa
I wish every man and woman would read this touching life story.
A personal review I wrote about the book on my blog...... http://livhumatsila.blogspot.com/2013...
Absolutely beautiful. Diane bravely ventures into her past, exploring some very personal issues from her childhood and young adulthood, and how she met her soulmate.
In the book, Diane reveals the raw nature of the South African family structure, a feature many will relate to.
The story is so beautifully told, it can be easily turned into a movie, showing the resilience and strength of one of many strong women we have in South Africa
I wish every man and woman would read this touching life story.
A personal review I wrote about the book on my blog...... http://livhumatsila.blogspot.com/2013...
October 23, 2013
This book moved me through so many emotions !!! Form pure utter shock, to tears streaming down my face to boughts of uncontrollable laughter. Following the plight of a South African women living through the effects and after effects of Apartheid. I have read many books on the topic of apartheid but have never come across a book that personalizes the direct impact of the violence within the four walls of your home and your mind and at the same time the duality of humankind to be both kind and extremely cruel. This auto-biography is must a read. Having read it twice, I think it will be one of those that I will read many more times. It will take time for me to digest the contents of the book as it covers some really heart wrenching and VERY real topics of violence that many are afraid to talk about. I commend Diane Brown on the bravery it must have taken to write such a book, being, such a personal account of her life from to childhood to her early adult years. The book covers topics such as: race, colorism, violence, human spirit, love, overcoming all odds. I'm looking forward to reading more of Diane's material. The standard of South African Literature is rising everyday.
December 4, 2013
The Sabi is a much needed book in South Africa. it is more than an autobiography it is moment in time in South Africa and it speaks to everyone across the board. The author has a conversation with the reader and takes him or her on a journey with her into her mind, into her circumstances and into the history of South Africa. More than anything sit back, read the book and enjoy it!
July 22, 2016
This is a gripping book, it is the second time I am reading it .. It was a page turner. Sometimes I had to put the book down, even though it was the second time I read it within a space of a month. This book is so real and honest and seems to be written directly from the heart.
I wish this book, or books like it could be in every single schools in South Africa because it is so real and told from a perspective of reality but also not one of judgement.
I highly recommend this book to young and old and to all races. It is a book that hangs on in your soul long after you have read the last page, and that's why I had to go back to it and read it again. The Sabi is brutal at times, but it is also so very hopeful. The ending is not what you would like, but that is life - there are no fairy tales but yet you still feel urged to live life and be hopeful
We need more books like this and I hope to read more and more from this author and that she does not loose her gift of being able to tell a story simply, in a context of history, politics and society. This for me is the brilliance of the book. It is real yet you learn so much .. helped me to make sense of violence, race and colour, human duality, cultural legacies and human relations
It takes you on a journey --I laughed at times, I cried and I reflected along with her. You feel like you part of the story and soon this story becomes yours too.
I don't think anyone will be able to read this book and be the same - it just has that effect
(I think this book should be made into a movie, it just has that quality)
I wish this book, or books like it could be in every single schools in South Africa because it is so real and told from a perspective of reality but also not one of judgement.
I highly recommend this book to young and old and to all races. It is a book that hangs on in your soul long after you have read the last page, and that's why I had to go back to it and read it again. The Sabi is brutal at times, but it is also so very hopeful. The ending is not what you would like, but that is life - there are no fairy tales but yet you still feel urged to live life and be hopeful
We need more books like this and I hope to read more and more from this author and that she does not loose her gift of being able to tell a story simply, in a context of history, politics and society. This for me is the brilliance of the book. It is real yet you learn so much .. helped me to make sense of violence, race and colour, human duality, cultural legacies and human relations
It takes you on a journey --I laughed at times, I cried and I reflected along with her. You feel like you part of the story and soon this story becomes yours too.
I don't think anyone will be able to read this book and be the same - it just has that effect
(I think this book should be made into a movie, it just has that quality)
June 28, 2014
When looking at history, I always wonder what happens to the ordinary people, the ones like you and me. Those who are important because they both live in the world and give the world life; yet their lives are not public knowledge. The people for whom history is the backdrop of their lives, who are affected and changed by history but do this with relative anonymity.
Dianne gives an autobiographical account of her life as an ordinary South African under Apartheid. Although race and culture are obvious themes, there is so much more to this book than that. It's about searching for and finding yourself and your place in this world; and the importance of the people who make this journey with you. It's a beautiful look at the life of someone who appears ordinary to the rest of the world, but who is extraordinary to those who love her.
Thank you Diane for sharing your story with us.
Dianne gives an autobiographical account of her life as an ordinary South African under Apartheid. Although race and culture are obvious themes, there is so much more to this book than that. It's about searching for and finding yourself and your place in this world; and the importance of the people who make this journey with you. It's a beautiful look at the life of someone who appears ordinary to the rest of the world, but who is extraordinary to those who love her.
Thank you Diane for sharing your story with us.
December 21, 2013
An intimate story, told as though spending many afternoons lingering over coffee in the living room of a friend recounting her life, Brown's tale reflects on violence and oppression, racism and sexism, and the challenges we face to live as whole people and create a society of peace, love, and justice.
December 20, 2013
Alright I cannot wait a few days. I need to put down my thoughts about this book - I am restless and need to read it again.
South Africa is wounded and this book shows the source of the wounds, the wound and the scabs that form to try to heal the wound. It also shows the plasters that we apply to cover up that wound. There are things that we all know and experience - the abuse, the inappropriate touches from men, the racism, the treatment if you dark skin - even from your own or other "black" groups, the racism in the stores, on the roads and in the workplace. This book talks about these things that we are too scared to speak of or too much in denial about. The treatment within mixed race and Indian communities in South Africa is said as it should be.
What stood out for me is how women are the ones who suffer most at the hands of a system as big as apartheid, or racism or patriarchy. Also how these systems are oppressive to women and black people. Mostly it shows the psychological wounds that these systems create.
The author goes back to a time when our ancestors were raped on mass by British troops, when they were dumped in unmarked graves. When I read that part I was quite taken aback by those incidents being put right up front in the book, and as I continued to read I got to understand the brilliantly written foreword better - we are products of a system of hundreds of years. She asks how can an Oscar Pistorius kill a Reeva? This is the duality she reflects on much in this book - duality that is as "evident and as stark as the inequality among its citizens"
She then takes you on a journey through her life and this part cannot adequately be explained you have to be part of this conversation - you need to read every line to experience it. In a way this book on reflection is indeed conversation with the reader. There are moments that made my skin tense up .. some parts are not easy to read, but she skillfully takes you through those - I put down the book at some parts tried to forget it for a while, but then it called me back, and I am so glad I went back to finish it. For I realised that going back to this conversation was going back to me, to South Africa, to the world where groups of people are treated very badly - the the very big wound.
The book then begins to show a path of rediscovery and some healing. You get to smile and be happy with this journey as the rainbow in her life begins to emerge. Without spoiling the book for every woman, man, father, daughter, brother and uncle that needs to read the book, let me simply end by saying that the book should not have ended .. I cried, a little devastated, then hopeful. So I return to start the book with that wonderful foreword.
This book should be read in every school in South Africa, it should be mandatory reading for every South African. Perhaps it is time to face ourselves - and who we really are
South Africa is wounded and this book shows the source of the wounds, the wound and the scabs that form to try to heal the wound. It also shows the plasters that we apply to cover up that wound. There are things that we all know and experience - the abuse, the inappropriate touches from men, the racism, the treatment if you dark skin - even from your own or other "black" groups, the racism in the stores, on the roads and in the workplace. This book talks about these things that we are too scared to speak of or too much in denial about. The treatment within mixed race and Indian communities in South Africa is said as it should be.
What stood out for me is how women are the ones who suffer most at the hands of a system as big as apartheid, or racism or patriarchy. Also how these systems are oppressive to women and black people. Mostly it shows the psychological wounds that these systems create.
The author goes back to a time when our ancestors were raped on mass by British troops, when they were dumped in unmarked graves. When I read that part I was quite taken aback by those incidents being put right up front in the book, and as I continued to read I got to understand the brilliantly written foreword better - we are products of a system of hundreds of years. She asks how can an Oscar Pistorius kill a Reeva? This is the duality she reflects on much in this book - duality that is as "evident and as stark as the inequality among its citizens"
She then takes you on a journey through her life and this part cannot adequately be explained you have to be part of this conversation - you need to read every line to experience it. In a way this book on reflection is indeed conversation with the reader. There are moments that made my skin tense up .. some parts are not easy to read, but she skillfully takes you through those - I put down the book at some parts tried to forget it for a while, but then it called me back, and I am so glad I went back to finish it. For I realised that going back to this conversation was going back to me, to South Africa, to the world where groups of people are treated very badly - the the very big wound.
The book then begins to show a path of rediscovery and some healing. You get to smile and be happy with this journey as the rainbow in her life begins to emerge. Without spoiling the book for every woman, man, father, daughter, brother and uncle that needs to read the book, let me simply end by saying that the book should not have ended .. I cried, a little devastated, then hopeful. So I return to start the book with that wonderful foreword.
This book should be read in every school in South Africa, it should be mandatory reading for every South African. Perhaps it is time to face ourselves - and who we really are
May 13, 2014
Born in South Africa when apartheid was in full throttle Diane Brown shares her story. Diane suffered through violence and racism slashing her sense of self which lead to a failed suicide attempt.
"I was born into a violent world. I grew up in violence. I live in a violent world. I experienced and witnessed violence in my home, in my school, on the playgrounds, in the streets, among siblings, in relationships, on the television, among parents and everywhere else. In South Africa violence is pandemic, and it is as common a phenomenon and part of our culture and psyche as boerewors, biltong and sunny skies."
Her father was both physical and verbally abusive towards Diane as well as the entire family. He was a overzealous disciplinarian, no doubt sole ruler of his castle.
Despite Diane being born with both African and European heritage, her looks resembled more of an African woman. She suffered a tremendous amount of violence and racism based on her looks. Unfortunately her skin color and hair texture caused her grief within her family, siblings possessing lighter skin and silkier hair deemed more attractive. Thus being treated in this manner incited a path towards depression.
"The people in my life have done unthinkable things and said hurtful things to me; I try to step outside of my pain and let things go, and once again embrace them, because we all make mistakes. But it has been my experience that I am not allowed to make mistakes or have flaws, which is an impossibility of course, because I am flawed. But the retaliation and punishment that I receive in these times I feel do not fit the flaws or the perceived crime. Sometimes I could just be presumed to be flawed and then I am punished. Those punishments, particularly when they attack who I am naturally, my character and life decisions, are painful beyond measure."
Diane was fortunate to discover her essence and accept herself and change for the better. Listening to her inner voice "The Sabi" the reader joins her in her self-discovering sojourn.
"It was their turn to realise any value in me and treat me like I was important to them, and if they could not do that I did not want them in my space, no matter how much I loved them."
Reading of Diane's treatment was tough at times, often I closed the book and stepped away. She is brave and unselfish in telling her story and it is greatly acknowledged. An array of emotions will be tested reading this story.
The Sabi is insightful, the apartheid regime is explored - including color classification. Diane's story is inspiring beyond words. This is not just a story of violence and abuse, this is a story of one amazingly strong woman's healing. A story of a courageous woman with incredible staying power overcoming injustices.
"I was born into a violent world. I grew up in violence. I live in a violent world. I experienced and witnessed violence in my home, in my school, on the playgrounds, in the streets, among siblings, in relationships, on the television, among parents and everywhere else. In South Africa violence is pandemic, and it is as common a phenomenon and part of our culture and psyche as boerewors, biltong and sunny skies."
Her father was both physical and verbally abusive towards Diane as well as the entire family. He was a overzealous disciplinarian, no doubt sole ruler of his castle.
Despite Diane being born with both African and European heritage, her looks resembled more of an African woman. She suffered a tremendous amount of violence and racism based on her looks. Unfortunately her skin color and hair texture caused her grief within her family, siblings possessing lighter skin and silkier hair deemed more attractive. Thus being treated in this manner incited a path towards depression.
"The people in my life have done unthinkable things and said hurtful things to me; I try to step outside of my pain and let things go, and once again embrace them, because we all make mistakes. But it has been my experience that I am not allowed to make mistakes or have flaws, which is an impossibility of course, because I am flawed. But the retaliation and punishment that I receive in these times I feel do not fit the flaws or the perceived crime. Sometimes I could just be presumed to be flawed and then I am punished. Those punishments, particularly when they attack who I am naturally, my character and life decisions, are painful beyond measure."
Diane was fortunate to discover her essence and accept herself and change for the better. Listening to her inner voice "The Sabi" the reader joins her in her self-discovering sojourn.
"It was their turn to realise any value in me and treat me like I was important to them, and if they could not do that I did not want them in my space, no matter how much I loved them."
Reading of Diane's treatment was tough at times, often I closed the book and stepped away. She is brave and unselfish in telling her story and it is greatly acknowledged. An array of emotions will be tested reading this story.
The Sabi is insightful, the apartheid regime is explored - including color classification. Diane's story is inspiring beyond words. This is not just a story of violence and abuse, this is a story of one amazingly strong woman's healing. A story of a courageous woman with incredible staying power overcoming injustices.
January 5, 2014
One of the primary reasons I read, is to feel. I do not mind which emotion it is I experience as I make my way through the pages of a book - the more, the merrier - as long as I do feel something.
That is why I enjoyed The Sabi. I felt it all the way through: horror, disgust, sorrow, empathy and inspiration. The author bravely puts her heart on show in this story of the first part of her life, and it's Apartheid context makes it all the more poignant.
She avoids naming people and places. My initial response to this was that she lacked courage, but as I journeyed deeper into her story, I corrected myself. Diane wants nothing to come between you and her emotional experience: no sensationalising, no politicking and no moralising. Just her feelings on the page, and your heart receiving them.
If you are a 'feel' reader, like me, then read this book. Disappointment is one feeling you won't experience as you read it.
That is why I enjoyed The Sabi. I felt it all the way through: horror, disgust, sorrow, empathy and inspiration. The author bravely puts her heart on show in this story of the first part of her life, and it's Apartheid context makes it all the more poignant.
She avoids naming people and places. My initial response to this was that she lacked courage, but as I journeyed deeper into her story, I corrected myself. Diane wants nothing to come between you and her emotional experience: no sensationalising, no politicking and no moralising. Just her feelings on the page, and your heart receiving them.
If you are a 'feel' reader, like me, then read this book. Disappointment is one feeling you won't experience as you read it.
June 24, 2014
This is an important book which addresses issues regarding race, violence and gender based on the author's personal experience growing up in Apartheid South Africa. The language is expressive and it challenges the reader to test their assumptions and preconceived notions.
March 25, 2020
This is the story of Diane Brown, a black woman born in South Africa. She gave an excellent visual of her experience of apartheid. Be prepared to read a very open, honest and traumatizing experience as she recalls her childhood all the way through adulthood.
The sabi means "to know"
The sabi means "to know"
January 10, 2016
I don’t usually read memoirs, but was compelled after encountering it on one of my favorite blogs (Mary Okeke Reviews). The story was incredibly sad and yet amazingly inspiring at the same time. Life for some people can be so difficult and seeing how they make it through can give an inordinate amount of hope.
Life in South Africa during apartheid could never be described as easy unless a person was white. For the ‘colored’ it was easier than for the blacks. I learned a bit a bit of South African History through this story and even more about their race relations and how people tended to see each other.
I’ll be honest, there were many aspects of the book that riled my anger because life for so many was unfair for so long. I could feel the truth in her experience and those of others.
Ms. Brown’s writing was smooth and engaging. It left me with a few questions, Such as ‘How in the world had she ended up so well adjusted after living the life she’d lived’.
A wonderful read for those who are curious about how South Africa got into their state of racial division and how it was maintained for so long. All with a mix of Ms. Brown’s personalized experiences thrown in to spice up the story.
Life in South Africa during apartheid could never be described as easy unless a person was white. For the ‘colored’ it was easier than for the blacks. I learned a bit a bit of South African History through this story and even more about their race relations and how people tended to see each other.
I’ll be honest, there were many aspects of the book that riled my anger because life for so many was unfair for so long. I could feel the truth in her experience and those of others.
Ms. Brown’s writing was smooth and engaging. It left me with a few questions, Such as ‘How in the world had she ended up so well adjusted after living the life she’d lived’.
A wonderful read for those who are curious about how South Africa got into their state of racial division and how it was maintained for so long. All with a mix of Ms. Brown’s personalized experiences thrown in to spice up the story.
December 19, 2015
I liked this book. It was part of my 'sprint' to read books by South African women while on holiday there - I'm not sure I would have come across it otherwise. Brown relates a a painful, violent childhood - a world and a half way from my own, that at times was shockingly, matter-of-factly, graphic in its detail.
November 15, 2013
The Sabi is just one of those books that you have to read, and read again. Well written story with so much to think about.
January 9, 2014
An amazing book! Was an absolute joy and pleasure to read! Great writing and even better story line. A book of truth that took courage to write. 5 stars! a definite favorite! Highly recommended.
October 5, 2020
3.5 stars.
This Novel read like a memoir. I really loved the writing style and this tragic coming of age story.
This Novel read like a memoir. I really loved the writing style and this tragic coming of age story.
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