Fools and Other Stories

The stories in Fools and other stories deal with the formative experiences of growing up in a Johannesburg township during the Apartheid years. Fools, the title story of the collection, is a tale of generations. Zamani, a disgraced middle-aged teacher and Zani, a young student activist, are inadvertently bound together by affection and hostility in an intense and unpredictable relationship. Finding each other means finding the common ground of their struggle. It also means re-examining their lives - and, notably, their relationships with women. The Test, The Prophetess, The Music of the Violin describe an act of courage and endurance; a close encounter with an awe-inspiring old woman; a choice which must be made between the narrow ambitions of middle-class parents and the challenge of the township streets. Uncle celebrates the gift of one generation to another: a gift that mingles music with other adventures of the spirit, recklessness with resourcefulness, and laughter with wisdom.