heightened domesticity, ignorance and submission. For anyone who is a feminist this will really rattle you! In saying that, Vesper has skilfully opened this window and blown you into a world that we so wish was dead and buried.
What if you had ambitions beyond the ‘normal’ expectations? Had a talent that needed to be explored?  And if you didn’t quite fit the profile, well, a diagnosis of ‘nerves’ with the accompanying tranquiliser script could easily sweep that under the carpet. Some 70 years on, with feminism a strong part of our lives, the freedom to be who you are can still be out of reach in some countries. 
 All these elements are there as Vesper draws us into this seeming paradise and,  against the background of the Vietnam War,  she tightens her grip with every page.  You become at one with the characters, fighting for them or hating them, sympathising or simply dismissing their ignorance but Vesper’s exploration of the American soul is searing.  The scene is created with unnerving reality.
Sunnylakes development is not so sunny. It’s the American dream - middle class families with manicured lawns, perfect houses, perfect wives (or widows) perfect lives. I was reminded of ‘The Stepford Wives’ and ‘Valley of the Dolls’ as i read. And ‘Mad Men ‘certainly made an appearance. It is a patriarchal society but the undercurrents of jealousy, rivalry and ambition are about to tear apart this privileged community. When a wife goes missing slowly, inexorably the darkness begins to rise and, like a sharp knife, is set to rip out the secrets and the lies.
When Joyce Haney disappears it is the ‘help’ Ruby who is the first on the scene. In the manner of the racism of the time, she is held as a suspect because there’s an awful lot of blood in the kitchen. But there is no body.  Joyce has simply vanished, leaving her eldest child Barbara, shivering in the garden, ‘waiting’ and the baby Lily crying in her cot. Neighbourly Nancy Ingram rushes over to assist as the children are very familiar to her and she considers herself close to Joyce.
But it is Joyce’s voice that pitifully tells part of the tale. ‘I should not paint. Frank does not like it, even though Genevieve Crane says i have amazing talent. It’s a bad example to the kids, a mother who indulges when there are meal plans to be made and carpets to vacuum and flowers to be arranged. “ Makes you shudder!
And the search begins. Detective Mick Blanke is determined to see this case through, even though the bosses want a quick result, but it is his inherent kindness to Ruby that sees them reluctantly, at first, working together to solve this complex mystery. Vesper gives Ruby a sharp intellect and an ambitious streak, seeing much more than her ‘Madams’ would give her credit for and a passion for more out of life.  Cementing her relationship with the doughty detective is her ability to connect the clues. In fact, by the end of the book i was hoping to see more of this unlikely pair teamed up to solve more such mysteries!
The story does not let you go until the very end, with surprising and unexpected results.
There is eeriness about the book, an echo that does not sit quietly as we follow these women whose lives were so under control. It is a book about feminism and hope and the enlightened men who saw beyond prejudice and traditional roles.  I could not put it down. ​

favoured, yet she was the darling of her father, loving him unconditionally. But when the feisty girl challenged him his mood changed and he hurled abuse at her. But still she forgave him. He moved the family often, chasing one deal after another, moving from grand to mediocre to staying with family. When she discovers that he committed insurance fraud – she confronts him, exhorting all the faith teachings that he has laid at her feet – own up and you will be forgiven. The threat of Jacqui exposing him leads to more abuse and the child is marked for ever.
As often happens, a spirited child becomes the target of a parent’s inadequacies resulting in first loving and then abusive behaviour.  Subliminally trying to break the spirit and restore order in the chaotic world of the parent’s making.
So it was in Jacqui Burnett’s case.
Since our first male role model is our father what can we expect from our subsequent male relationships? Always seen through her father’s eyes, Jacqui is never able to view herself objectively but finally she has to face herself with some devastating consequences. Nine near death experiences shape her finding of the truth. As a determined, adventurous young woman she seeks answers in unlikely places, pushing herself beyond the pale as she pieces together the chaos of her early life and her reactions. She takes herself into extreme conditions, testing her endurance to look for answers.
What follows is a roller coaster ride as we experience a life unravelling and a painful reconstruction to a life worth living. The palpable anger that pushes her to action shapes the woman she is today.
Love affairs, success, failure, travel, yoga training (with a very judgemental teacher) move her forward until her final epiphany, when like a butterfly, she emerges stronger and wiser bringing all her experiences together into a comforting quilt of calm, peace and love that she can pay forward. 
That Jacqui loves writing is evident and she pens a spirited and descriptive story that is engaging and thoughtfully crafted. As she bares her soul taking us into the very depths of her confusion and anger, she is brutal in her honesty and candour.  At times it is an uncomfortable read as so much of what she has experienced will resonate.  At others frustrating, as you cry, ‘no, don’t do that again!’ But ultimately it is a forgiving and brave story, with mindfulness and spirituality at its core. It is a true test of courage to face and battle the demons which colour and shape our lives.
Using quotes as openings for each chapter this one by Viktor Frankl sums it up: ‘When we are no longer able to change our situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.’ Jacqui has successfully taken that path. (find her on facebook daretobelove or go to jacquiburnett.com)

information in a story that makes your skin crawl and lodges in the crevices of your mind.
Lex Gracie (Girl A) is 15 when she escapes her family ‘House of Horrors’ and exposes the untenable circumstances of her and her siblings. Her religious fanatic Father has descended into complete madness . The compliant, mostly pregnant and weak Mother has allowed the cruelty to escalate as the six siblings are deprived of freedom, light, food and human contact.  What follows is Father’s suicide, a public outcry and the bringing of Mother to justice. With media gobbling at the story the children are mostly protected, but there is always the trickle of information that identifies them as having endured this unspeakable childhood. It is within these bounds that the story explores relationships - of the children and ultimately with their friends and lovers.
The story opens with Lex some 15 years later. She has a good life as a successful lawyer living and working in New York. Returning  to the UK when the imprisoned Mother dies, Lex is the appointed executor of the house on the edge of a North of England moor.  While she has no desire to visit that place or the horrific memories she sees a positive solution – that she and her sister Evie turn the house into a community and rehabilitation centre. But she has to get signed permission from her siblings and therein lies the tale. There has been little sibling communication since ‘the escape’; adoption, new families and circumstances have dictated this.  But Lex and the younger Evie have retained their strong bond through their having shared a bedroom.  Ethan the eldest son has also remained within their orbit, seemingly overcoming the trauma by having an exemplary life as headmaster of a public school.
This is a story where concentration is required as Dean takes you from past to present with speed and skill. Measured information develops the story into an unexpected climax.  We meet each of the siblings - severely damaged Gabriel, bible punching , brittle Delilah, Ethan and his thin veneer, the hidden-from- view Noah, the ethereal Evie and the ghosts that Lex  lives with. Dr K is the understanding, forward thinking psychiatrist who remains in Lex’s life throughout and then there is Ana, Ethan’s gentle fiancée.  We experience the neglected house with its ’tumours of mould’, the ‘Territory’ that Evie and Lex struggle to cross – well constructed and malignant descriptions  add to the ugly picture. 
This is a powerful story, thoughtful yet shocking, bringing with it many surprises as the narrative develops. There is the question of genetics as Dean threads a clever insert of a client that Lex will be working with - raising in her mind the chance of the madness being handed down. It questions the damage lying sometimes dormant through much of a life, until circumstances bring it to the fore. And to what length the mind will protect the victim with a fiction invented to overcome the pain. But overall it is a book of hope as we engage with Lex as she deals with her demons. ​

Author: Sue Nyathi
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Reviewer: Gail Gilbride
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman of childbearing age must be in want of a husband.” (Jane Austen)
The Mafus are a traditional family of five, whose lives are all inextricably linked. Pastor Abraham and his wife Phumla seek to save their daughters’ souls, as well as to lead their church community in Bulawayo.  
Xoliswa, the spirited sibling, returns home after some time abroad. She is looking to begin afresh   and heading up the family business seems like a good place to start. The rebellious Yandisa has finally met the love of her life and she’s ready to leave her past behind her. Zandile is the newly wed daughter, who fully embraces a traditional role. She will be the one to show what happily ever after brings…
In many ways, I saw myself in all three women. So often our lives are dependent on fate, marital status and the way our partners choose to behave. In A Family Affair, each sister holds a devastating secret close to her heart, one which could ruin them all.
Sue Nyathi deftly tackles patriarchy, abuse and social disparities, as she takes us on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Her sensitivity and deep understanding of human nature, gives rise to richly rounded characters, who have flaws we can all identify with. Nyathi is also a master storyteller and I found myself reading late into the night!
Once again, the author creates a sisterhood I connect to and am fascinated by. I highly recommend A Family Affair, as well as all Nyathi’s previous novels.  
Heads up. Sue Nyathi is the one to watch, as she is indeed a shooting star!