Este libro más que contar una historia, cuenta un situación, una realidad. No es tanto la gramática, como la forma tan sutil de narrar los sentimientos.
Una historia desgarradora marcada por el conflicto político-social de Sudáfrica. Y también por las guerras, todas ellas (las mundiales, las raciales, las internas, etc.)
Una lectura recomendable, fácil de leer y que hace reflexionar._read_2017 2010-2019 literatura-contemporánea38 s Natalie17 4

Being South African and growing up at the end of the Apartheid, I could totally relate to this story. This too was the South Africa I recall as a young teen. The park benches, public toilets and beaches with their signs "Whites Only" - a picture I still have in my head.

I found the book was very readable, but I didn't find it going anywhere fast. I found that the book went along in a straight line, and did have a hint of predictability, which was a bit disappointing.

I also found that the events taking place in the Apartheid times were very toned down, I recall some of these events happening, the necklacing that took place, which was just gruesome, and yet, I did not get that feeling when reading her descriptions of these actions.

Maybe it could be that being South African I have a biased expectation of the story, which I found fell a little short of the mark.

What I enjoyed the most about this book was the scenery, which was most visible to me through my mind's eye.
My favourite being the Hadedas calling - made me quite homesick, they are the first birds I used to hear upon waking in the morning - definitely a South African experience :)
22 s Maria Olga Lectoraapasionada312 109

Duro libro, pero a la vez está lleno de ternura, me asombró que en la historia de esta novela, la protagonista Ada, no tenga ningún historia de amor o tal vez tuvo la historia de amor más grande e incondicional, el de una madre, aunque no es su madre de sangre, pero si de corazón.
Me encanto el coraje de Ada, las ganas de aprender y las ganas de superarse a pesar de su dura vida ..
Qué bonita banda sonora la de libro ..Las gotas de lluvia de Chopin..19 s Serendipity Reviews570 369

Reviewed by @musingdragon on www.serendipity.co.uk
Around once a year, I read a book this one and just know it will stick with me for life.

Irish born Cathleen Harrington now lives in South Africa with her distracted husband and two children. Served by their faithful housemaid Miriam and her young daughter Ada, Cathleen is learning to adjust to her new life.

The novel is written from Ada’s point of view but through her interactions with Ada and surprisingly few snippets of Mrs Harrington’s diary, the reader grasps the character of this truly selfless lady that will be so influential on Ada’s life. Following Ada’s journey from childhood to adult and mother we experience her first tragic love for Cathleen’s son Phil, her pleasure in playing the piano, her rejection by both whites and blacks when she conceives a child which fits with neither. We experience the tumultuous emotions; fear, love, rejoicing for Ada’s exotic and wilful daughter Dawn. It’s a story of dancing and music, hope and love, revolution and courage.

The cover compares the novel to The Help, but I think this just doesn’t do the book justice. Yes they both feature black housemaids serving white families, but where The Help portrays a group of maids united in vengeance against a common (white) enemy, The Housemaid’s Daughter is the story of the most forbidden of friendships, flowering despite the harshest conditions. The love and respect between Mrs Harrington and Ada conquers all barriers except death.

One thing just didn’t ring true for me; Ada welcoming her ‘Master’ to her bed with seemingly open arms. As a young girl with no sexual experience, surely the first emotion would be fear, especially considering he has never shown any particular warmth towards her. The ongoing belief throughout the rest of the book that this circumstance was ‘her duty’ to him in his misery and loneliness still lacks something for me. Possibly I have misjudged the attitude of servants at this time to their white families.

The interesting thing about this novel is just how visibly you can see the author growing with her main character. It’s she’s learning to love Ada along with us. At first it’s hesitant, perhaps overly detailed too soon, but as a big fan of South Africa flaws and all, I just love the detail that went into this novel, from the delicate pink roses in the Harrington’s gardens, to the dirty angry Groot Vis river, to the sound of rain on Ada’s corrugated iron roof and the feel of it between her toes.

If you’re me and love historical novels with a personal touch, you’ll adore this captivating debut. 14 s Cheryl James307 220

My review will give no justice to this story. I listened to the audible version and this story melted my heart and my soul. I will forever remember this book and the characters. Three generations of Black and White love, hate, joy, pain, good and evil. When things were good they were good and when they were bad they were bad. I pray that South Africa will forever have a Black Ada and a White Catherine
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