Page 34 - Waterfall January 2022

Waterfall Book Reviews
32 Waterfall Issue 1
Rise
By Siya Kolisi
His truth. His story. In his words. Siya kolisi, captain of the Springboks, and the first black man
to lead his country in over 128 years of South African rugby, shares his story in Rise. In an
extraordinarily intimate memoir, kolisi charts his story from being born in the impoverished Zwide
Township, to leading his proud nation to an astonishing victory at the Rugby World Cup in 2019.
However, Rise is not simply a chronology of matches played and games won; it is an exploration of a
man’s race and his faith, a masterclass in attaining a positive mindset, and an inspirational reminder
that it is possible to defy the odds, no matter how they are stacked against you.
The title, Rise, is inspired by Siya’s mother – Phakama – which translates to the book’s name. It is also
a celebration of his Xhosa heritage.
Price: R328.00
Scatterling of Africa: My Early Years
By Johnny Clegg
There are moments in life that are pure, and which seem to hang in the air, unhitched from the
everyday world as we know it. Suspended for a few seconds, they float in their own space and time
with their own hidden prospects. For want of a better term, we call these moments ‘magical’ and
when we remember them, they are cloaked in a halo of special meaning.
For 14-year-old Johnny Clegg, hearing Zulu street music as plucked on the strings of a guitar by
Charlie Mzila one evening outside a corner café in Bellevue, Johannesburg, was one such ‘magical’
moment. The success story of Juluka and later Savuka, and the cross-cultural celebration of
music, language, story, dance and song that stirred the hearts of millions across the world, is well
documented. Their music was the soundtrack to many South Africans’ lives during the turbulent
‘70s and ‘80s as the country moved from legislated oppression to democratic freedom. It crossed
borders, boundaries and generations, resonating around the world and back again. Less known is
the story of how it all began and developed.
Scatterling of Africa is that origin story, as the late Johnny Clegg wrote it and wanted it told. It is the story
of how the son of an unconventional mother, and grandson of Jewish immigrants, came to realise that
identity can be a choice, and home is a place you leave and return to as surely as the seasons change.
Price: R368.00
Shudu Finds Her Magic
By Shudufhadzo Musida, Chantelle Thorne, Burgen Thorne
In this courageous and beautiful book, Miss South Africa, Shudufhadzo Musida, tells the story
of her upbringing; of a delightful and outgoing girl in Ha-vhangani, a small venda village. She
is surrounded by a loving extended family. However, things for Shudu take a turn for the worse
when she moves to Mpumalanga to live with her mom. At her new school, Shudu is bullied by her
classmates.
Read how Shudu overcomes her sadness and her challenges, and grows into a girl, and then an
adult, who has learned to love herself! The book is aimed at children aged between four and
12 years of age and deals with bullying and the power of friendship.
Price: R88.00
2022