Read for book club (2/2011). Pre-Apartheid South Africa where the lives of two fathers intertwine, tragically. I probably did not find this as moving as a lot of others because I have read so much about the Civil Rights movement in the U.S. and read other books that address similar issues earlier in my life, so those books stuck with me and affected me more than this one. Given when it was written and the issues it addresses though I can definitely see why it is classified as a classic novel. Also, the dashes for dialogue drove me bonkers.

Beautiful.

Forty years ago I journeyed with a backpack through South Africa and, on returning, read Paton's book. It is a moving depiction of blacks and whites trying to co-exist in apartheid South Africa. Cry, the Beloved Country rang true with what I saw, and told the story in a wonderfully written book.

In "Cry the Beloved Country," Paton tells a highly emotional story about an old pastor, Stephen Kumalo, searching for his lost son, Absalom. The book describes the turbulent social conditions in South Africa that would eventually give rise to apartheid. In particular, Paton depicts the breakdown of the African tribal system, the degrading of the native farmlands, and the inevitable flight to the overcrowded Johannesburg slums. Much of the writing has an almost biblical style, and in the end, we learn that despite great tragedy, mankind can find hope and renewal when we replace our fear with compassion.

I liked the story but I don't get why this book is so loved. Oprah's book club.