Kaffir Boy
The True Story of a Black Youth’s Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa
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Kaffir Boy
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Narrated by:
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Mark Mathabane
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By:
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Mark Mathabane
About this listen
The classic story of life in apartheid South Africa.
Mark Mathabane was weaned on devastating poverty and schooled in the cruel streets of South Africa’s most desperate ghetto, where bloody gang wars and midnight police raids were his rites of passage. Like every other child born in the hopelessness of apartheid, he learned to measure his life in days, not years. Yet Mark Mathabane, armed only with the courage of his family and a hard-won education, raised himself up from the squalor and humiliation to win a scholarship to an American university.
This extraordinary memoir of life under apartheid is a triumph of the human spirit over hatred and unspeakable degradation, for Mark Mathabane did what no physically and psychologically battered “Kaffir” from the rat-infested alleys of Alexandra was supposed to do - he escaped to tell about it.
Mark Mathabane was born and raised in the ghetto of Alexandra in South Africa. He is the author of Kaffir Boy, Kaffir Boy in America, Love in Black and White, African Women: Three Generations, Miriam’s Song, and The Proud Liberal. He lectures at schools and colleges nationwide on race relations, education, and our common humanity. He lives with his family in Portland, Oregon.
©1986 Mark Mathabane (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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What listeners say about Kaffir Boy
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 20-03-21
excellent first hand portrayal of the apartheid.
Amazing story/autobiography. Very hard to listen to at times, just because of how raw it was. Very informative
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Ivan
- 14-06-19
Deep illustration of apartheid
Was taught about apartheid while in primary and secondary school in uganda. I have read Mandela's long walk to freedom and it gave a political view and to some extent a common man's view. This gave an account of the suffering of a common person starting at the bottom of the pyramid. Highly recommend this to anyone.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kiki21
- 27-03-17
Crossing the threshold
Brilliant book - highly recommended. Wonderfully and meaningfully read by the author himself. The story is touching, honest, and inspiring, and for me - deeply meaningful.
As a white Afrikaner woman, born in the mid-seventies to a family in the white suburbs around Durban, this book has been deeply valuable to me. Sixteen years old when Mandela was released, and 18 years old when South Africa's first free and fair elections were held, I have lived my entire adult life under a cloud of guilt, and too frightened to learn more how bad things really were during Apartheid - a system that paid for primary and secondary schools on par with the best UK private schools have to offer, and which I took for granted.
What touched me about this book is that, despite all the suffering experienced by Mark Mathabane and his family, he makes it clear that the highly sophisticated Apartheid machine, with its finely tuned capacity for propaganda and outright lies, cheated both white and black South Africans the opportunity to meet and learn from one another. His openness and forgiving heart gave me the courage to really listen, to really hear and understand how it felt to live on the other side of the high security compounds in which whites locked themselves.
And that is what this book has done for me - allowing me to leave shame behind and move forward with an understanding and open heart.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 19-11-18
Kaffir Boy
Having lived in South Africa during Apartheid I found the book was a true reflection of those times. Very sad.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Hardeep Parmar
- 22-10-20
informative heart breaking story of hope
a beautifully written account of gruelling personal experiences. it was beautiful as the author despite all the hardships and challenges never gave up hope and in doing so he managed to escape to a better life
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Sugar
- 04-11-17
amazing must listin
lovely, amazing book about first hand account of living in south africa as a black family in the 80s
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- CFye
- 19-03-16
Long but worthwhile listen
Excellent story. Sometimes hard to listen to, I find the directness rewarding, and although there's no softening of the facts, it's less gruesome than much fiction. I listened on 1.25 speed, which may have given it a more urgent feel overall.
Hope the rest of his writing will be available in audiobook format soon.
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- Trish
- 16-06-15
One of the most inspirational books ever, I was gripped to the very end,
Mark, by reading his own story, gives this book so much passion and authenticity. A great insight into life during the apartheid era! My heart broke for him and his whole family, and for all those who had their freedom and humanity stripped from them, both then and now. Thank you Mark x
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4 people found this helpful
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- A.S.
- 01-03-23
Incredible
An exceptional book made all the more harrowing and extraordinary through being read by the author. The experiences, devastation and astounding accomplishments are so awe inspiring.
A huge amount of knowledge and historic education resides in this book. It’s a difficult and tough read regarding the realities of apartheid and the disgusting racist regime, which is illuminating and necessary information.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Akin Kunlipe
- 23-03-20
Fantastic book
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the powerful descriptive ability of the writer. Listening to this audio book I felt like I could see visually what the writer was narrating about. The writer chose words carefully to depict series of events which amazed me as a reader. I felt like I was there with him seeing from his eye. Highly recommended 👏🏿👍🏿
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