Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow, and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South AfricaEver since Nelson Mandela dramatically walked out of prison in 1990 after twenty-seven years behind bars, South Africa has been undergoing a radical transformation. In one of the most miraculous events of the century, the oppressive system of apartheid was dismantled. Repressive laws mandating separation of the races were thrown out. The country, which had been carved into a crazy quilt that reserved the most prosperous areas for whites and the most desolate and backward for blacks, was reunited. The dreaded and dangerous security force, which for years had systematically tortured, spied upon, and harassed people of color and their white supporters, was dismantled. But how could this country--one of spectacular beauty and promise--come to terms with its ugly past? How could its people, whom the oppressive white government had pitted against one another, live side by side as friends and neighbors? To begin the healing process, Nelson Mandela created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, headed by the renowned cleric Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Established in 1995, the commission faced the awesome task of hearing the testimony of the victims of apartheid as well as the oppressors. Amnesty was granted to those who offered a full confession of any crimes associated with apartheid. Since the commission began its work, it has been the central player in a drama that has riveted the country. In this book, Antjie Krog, a South African journalist and poet who has covered the work of the commission, recounts the drama, the horrors, the wrenching personal stories of the victims and their families. Through the testimonies of victims of abuse and violence, from the appearance of Winnie Mandela to former South African president P. W. Botha's extraordinary courthouse press conference, this award-winning poet leads us on an amazing journey. Country of My Skull captures the complexity of the Truth Commission's work. The narrative is often traumatic, vivid, and provocative. Krog's powerful prose lures the reader actively and inventively through a mosaic of insights, impressions, and secret themes. This compelling tale is Antjie Krog's profound literary account of the mending of a country that was in colossal need of change. |
From inside the book
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... of Errors 293 TWENTY Mother Faces the Nation 318 TWENTY-ONE Beloved Country of Grief and Grace 341 Epilogue 367 Acknowledgments 387 Glossary 389 Cast of Characters 395 Index 403 Introduction When black South Africans by the millions ...
... of Errors 293 TWENTY Mother Faces the Nation 318 TWENTY-ONE Beloved Country of Grief and Grace 341 Epilogue 367 Acknowledgments 387 Glossary 389 Cast of Characters 395 Index 403 Introduction When black South Africans by the millions ...
Page 5
“That a woman——and my mother was also a woman,” he shouts, “that a woman does not understand what I say!” He ends his submission. “If the shifting of a date can bring peace, then you must shift the date . . . Ifjustice rules .
“That a woman——and my mother was also a woman,” he shouts, “that a woman does not understand what I say!” He ends his submission. “If the shifting of a date can bring peace, then you must shift the date . . . Ifjustice rules .
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My mother brings a blanket for me. The night is suddenly filled with menace. “What's going on?" I ask. My mother explains. Andries's Wife, Bettie, would now be standing on the roof of their house, from where she has a large part of the ...
My mother brings a blanket for me. The night is suddenly filled with menace. “What's going on?" I ask. My mother explains. Andries's Wife, Bettie, would now be standing on the roof of their house, from where she has a large part of the ...
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Who has been shot? And which is worse? What fierce scenes are being played out in the veld? The family photo catches my eye. I look at my smiling, borselkop brothers. I remember how Hendrik clutched my mother's arm when she was paging ...
Who has been shot? And which is worse? What fierce scenes are being played out in the veld? The family photo catches my eye. I look at my smiling, borselkop brothers. I remember how Hendrik clutched my mother's arm when she was paging ...
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It is also called the Mother of All Laws. For the occasion, the visitors' gallery is packed with schoolchildren and—so the speculation goes—possible candidates for the commission. just as it did in the committee, the discussion of the ...
It is also called the Mother of All Laws. For the occasion, the visitors' gallery is packed with schoolchildren and—so the speculation goes—possible candidates for the commission. just as it did in the committee, the discussion of the ...
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - LibraryCin - LibraryThing2.5 stars Shortly after Nelson Mandela became president of South Africa, the Truth and Reconciliation Committee was formed to listen to victims and perpetrators of apartheid. If perpetrators applied ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - patrickgarson - LibraryThingCountry of My Skull is an astonishing book. Krog's attempt to embrace, explicate, and bear witness to South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission is complicated, creative, flawed, distressing ... Read full review
Contents
| 19 | |
| 37 | |
FOUR The Narrative of Betrayal Has to Be Reinvented Every Time | 67 |
FIVE The Sound of the Second Narrative | 74 |
Let Us Hear It in Another Language | 100 |
NINE The Political Page Curls over Itself | 131 |
The Lesser of Two Evils | 142 |
In Transit with the Ghosts | 150 |
FIFTEEN It Gets to All of Usfrom Tutu to Mamasela | 201 |
SEVENTEEN Then Burst the Mighty Heart | 251 |
EIGHTEEN The Shepherd and the Landscape of My Bones 259 | 257 |
NINETEEN A Tragedy of Errors | 293 |
TWENTY Mother Faces the Nation | 318 |
TWENTYONE Beloved Country of Grief and Grace | 341 |
Epilogue | 367 |
Acknowledgments | 387 |
TWELVE The Political Tongue at Anchor | 162 |
THIRTEEN Blood Rains in Every Latitude 175 | 174 |
FOURTEEN Letters on the Acoustics of Scars | 191 |
Cast of Characters | 395 |
Index | 403 |
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Common terms and phrases
Afrikaner already amnesty answer apartheid arms asked become blood body Botha called Cape changed child comes commissioners Committee court crying death door eyes face fact father feel felt find first force four front give hand happened head heard hearing honor journalists keep killed kind later lawyer leader leave live look Mamasela Mandela means months morning mother move murder never night Parliament Party past person police political president questions reconciliation remember says shot someone sound South African speak stand started Stompie story taken talk tell things thought told took town Truth Commission turned Tutu victims voice wait walk week whole wife woman wrong
Bibliographic information
| Title | Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow, and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South Africa |
| Author | Antjie Krog |
| Publisher | Crown, 2007 |
| ISBN | 0307420507, 9780307420503 |
| Length | 432 pages |
| Subjects | › › › History / Africa / South / Republic of South Africa History / Modern / 20th Century / General Political Science / Civil Rights |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |