Author: Glynnis Hayward
Publisher: Catalyst
​Reviewer: Beryl Eichenberger
There is a large focus on book covers at present and rightly so. The more arresting the cover, the more likely it will pique the interest of a buyer. Yes, I know – don't judge a book by its cover - but we are in that age where we are bombarded by design and good design is vital. So when i was sent Roads and Bridges by Glynnis Hayward the cover did not impress me, it tends to look a bit like a teen book.
However the contents belie the cover and I read this quickly and with great satisfaction.
Roads and Bridges combines the power of storytelling through its characters and the issues of adoption across the colour-line
You just never know who you're going to meet on a bus and one travelling through rural Kwa-Zulu Natal is full of quirky, colourful and instantly recognizable characters. American Mandy Walker and her companion Ryan, (read wannabe boyfriend) both Peace Corps volunteers, are travelling in a taxi to Durban. Running out of gas, the driver hotfoots it to the nearest town for more gas leaving the occupants to amuse themselves. South Africans are a chatty lot and the stories flow from the mostly Zulu occupants giving Mandy a taste of culture, friendship, support and loss. But it is the AIDS orphan Jabulani who captures her attention. En route to an orphanage, she is drawn to his plight, propelling her to change her direction in life to help this child. The friendships forged on this unusual bus ride are going to support her on the bumps in the road ahead. She finds a sympathetic lawyer, encounters the barely disguised prejudices of the white elite, has to face her own demons and realises that cross-cultural decisions are not hers to make. This is a very relevant story that takes a quizzical dig at celebrity adoptions (Madonna and Angelina Jolie) and the issues surrounding taking a child out of its cultural heritage. But it is also a story of the power of Ubuntu, emphasising how we should embrace those unexpected stops on our personal journeys and the respect that needs to be shown for tradition and culture.
Hayward writes with empathy and understanding using her South African background to bring a heart-warming and thoughtful story to a broader audience. ​