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If You Want to Make God Laugh
If You Want to Make God Laugh | Bianca Marais
26 posts | 20 read | 35 to read
From the author of Hum if You Don't Know the Words comes a rich, unforgettable story of three unique women in post-Apartheid South Africa who are brought together in their darkest time, and discover the ways that love can transcend the strictest of boundaries. On the outskirts of Johannesburg, seventeen-year-old Zodwa Bambisa lives in desperate poverty in tiny metal shack in a squatter camp, under the shadowy threat of a civil war and a growing AIDS epidemic. Eight months pregnant with a child she does not want, Zodwa carefully guards secrets that could get her killed if discovered. Meanwhile, at a rural farm outside the city, estranged sisters Ruth and Delilah each face a personal crisis that sends them back to their childhood home to lick their wounds. They live together in an uneasy peace until the day that they find a newborn baby on their doorstep. Abandoned with only a blanket wrapped around him, the child will change everything for the sisters, upending what they believed about race, motherhood, and the power of the past. As the mystery surrounding the infant's discovery grows, Zodwa, Ruth, and Delilah become inextricably linked. What follows is a mesmerizing look at family, identity, and the lengths to which the human heart will go to protect itself and the ones it loves.
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Evita
Pickpick

4 out of 5

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Ang203l
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Working my way through my library haul. #catsoflitsy

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Cinfhen
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Pickpick

A wonderful story of hope, family, loyalty & second chances set in the early days of post Apartheid #SouthAfrica. Three women each dealing with their own grief are drawn together and must reconcile with past decisions. Excellent multicast narration and beautiful writing makes this a strong 4 star read. Highly recommend #ReadingAfrica22

Librarybelle This sounds like a lovely story! 2y
Cinfhen It was sad @Librarybelle but really well done 2y
82 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Cinfhen
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So far this book is really good. Three women living in #SouthAfrica two white, one black. Each woman has a unique voice and interesting backstory. Multicast narration is adding to enjoyment #ReadingAfrica22

Librarybelle I like the multicast narrations - it definitely helps keep the voices of the characters unique! 2y
KatieB I loved this - and her other book too (edited) 2y
BarbaraBB It sounds good but I‘ve got the book you sent me and one I owned already for South Africa. Choices… 2y
Cinfhen I‘m pretty sure the book I sent you is by the same author & it‘s meant to be really good! This one was EXCELLENT- I loved it @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle 2y
Cinfhen So good to know @KatieB Because this one was surprisingly wonderful- I really grew to care about each woman and the secondary characters too! 2y
76 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Cinfhen
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Hoping my next book & audiobook will be good springboards for @Clwojick #ThingsInCommon April challenge 🤓The connection is both books are set in Africa! From there we will see…

Clwojick Such pretty covers, and so many options to match with! Good luck! 2y
60 likes1 comment
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Blaire
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Some mornings call for mini donuts. This is my last family book club selection of the year. So far so good.

Mitch That looks like a perfect morning ! xxx 3y
Blaire @Mitch thanks! They were leftover from daughter‘s bday treats. 3y
54 likes2 comments
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MelKelsey
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Pickpick

Book 11: I love this book and author! Set in South Africa, the novel deals with racism, rape, AIDS, fertility, mothering, religion. Intelligent, quality-writing. Dynamic, strong female characters. Compelling storylines. I'm crossing my fingers and toes that Marais will write many more novels, and fast!! I highly recommend!!

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mrozzz
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Pickpick

Fabulous and sad, a pleasure to read and learn from. I‘m for sure a forever fan of Bianca Marais. I‘d highly recommend to fans of her last book and of historical fiction.

Can‘t review properly without more space so I‘ll leave you with a quote: “I know better than anyone how the heart can play the most terrible tricks on the mind. It's a traitorous beast that can't be trusted at the best of times, but even less so when it's so utterly broken.”

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mrozzz
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Wow:
“How strange that a person can look back on her life & see all the tiny decisions/actions— even moments of inertia in which nothing appeared to be happening— all the trailing comets of them hurtling forward like fireworks, not into nothingness/insignificance, but toward a future moment, a split second in which everything came together in an explosion of certainty & unity so that you could only gasp: Oh! So that‘s where it was all leading to.”

TheSpineView Love your nails!💜 4y
InBooksILive Gorgeous nails! 4y
IMASLOWREADER love your nails 4y
See All 9 Comments
BarbaraBB Mel! How are you? You have moved by now I think. Are you no longer in the mood for Litsy? I hope you are well 💜 4y
mrozzz @BarbaraBB hi Barbara! I am well! 💜 Coming down with a cold now I think, but otherwise everything is good. Litsy keeps getting left behind at the end of a long day and I haven‘t picked it up in awhile. The job and just keeping up with reading & chores is taking a lot out of me. 4y
BarbaraBB I can imagine! Have you moved yet? And do you still visit author meetings? And do you among all those things have time to write? (edited) 4y
mrozzz Yes! I fully moved in to my place in September 😊 @BarbaraBB I go to 1 author talk per month (there are fewer out here where I am now) and I‘m trying to spend one full day every month or so back in NYC at the Center for Fiction so I can write. I‘m going this Saturday! I‘m excited because it‘s been awhile. 4y
BarbaraBB That sounds real good! I‘m happy to hear that 🥰 4y
mrozzz I‘m so glad you checked in 💜 @BarbaraBB 4y
54 likes1 stack add9 comments
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perfectlywinged
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Three women‘s lives intersect in post-apartheid South Africa. The plot moves quickly and keeps propelling me forward!

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KatieB
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This book is due back to the library on Friday a d I debated whether I wanted to start it with such a tight deadline. So glad I did though. What a fantastic book and I'm just flying through it!

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MamaGina
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And MORE library holds! 🤓

Gina ♡ing Little ♡♡♡ 5y
29 likes1 comment
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Becker
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Pickpick

A family story of two sisters in South Africa as they struggle with their personal lives, while their country struggles with the new political reality of Mandela as President. 👍

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Penny_LiteraryHoarders
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Pickpick

A slow building book that turns into an excellent and heart-wrenching story! Delilah, Ruth and Zodwa will capture your heart. Bianca Marais is an author I will automatically read.

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Floresj
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Pickpick

Novel depicts three intertwining characters in post apartheid Africa. I loved that the character development drove this novel rather and the political events of South Africa as a backdrop. I really liked each character which is remarkable as they were so very different. Well written and engaging,

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Penny_LiteraryHoarders
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Feeling more comfortable with this one. 😊

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LeafingThroughLife
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mrozzz
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Lucky me I got to do a bit of traveling this weekend to meet and hang out with Bianca Marais! It was an extraordinary pleasure as she is one of kindest people you‘ll ever come across. ☺️ I hope you put these both on your TBR if you haven‘t already read them. Or do! I‘ve read Hum twice and adored it even more the second time. 💚

Ncostell How wonderful, I bet you had a great time! 5y
mrozzz I really did! @Ncostell ☺️ 5y
82 likes1 stack add2 comments
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LeafingThroughLife
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I‘ve been in a bit of a life funk all week that spawned a bit of a reading funk. Glad I was able to start this one and get into it today. Not being in the middle of a good, distracting book makes those life funks that much worse. I‘m enjoying this so far, very curious how the three threads of the story are going to meet up...

16 likes1 stack add
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Liberty
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🎉IT‘S NEW BOOK DAY!🎉 I only have physical copies of a few of today‘s new releases to show you, but they are AMAZING. And there are several more out today that I am excited about, including The Nickel Boys, Stubborn Archivist, Storm Blown, Turbulence, The Wedding Party, Beirut Hellfire Society, The Oddmire, Tell Me Everything, The Border Keeper, and This is How You Lose the Time War. What are you excited to read? 📚❤️📚

jmtrivera I'm so excited for If You Want to Make God Laugh. I really liked her previous book. 5y
mommyincolortv I am about to read If You Want to Make God Laugh as well. Happy reading! 5y
103 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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EKonrad
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Pickpick

Absolutely loved this beautifully heartbreaking read set in South Africa. A definite recommend! #NetGalley

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Full review at: https://erinkonrad.com/2019/06/29/if-you-want-to-make-god-laugh-book-review/

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TorieStorieS
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Pickpick

Marais has done it again!! I have been waiting anxiously to see what she would follow her impressive debut novel up with, and thanks to #NetGalley, I have gotten an early view of this AMAZING second novel! The book opens in South Africa, just before Mandela is elected as president. The book covers three women‘s lives, two estranged sisters, Ruth and Delilah, and Zodwa. Their lives become intertwined in this emotional and engaging story! #BestBooks

mrozzz Can't wait for this one!! 5y
TorieStorieS @mrozzz I‘m sure you will love it as much as I did!!! 5y
k.reads.5 Awesome! Her debut has been on my TBR for a while. 5y
TorieStorieS @pl.2886 that was one of my very favorite books of 2017!!! And this one is great, too!! 5y
40 likes4 comments
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Tashreads
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These are some of my most anticipated upcoming releases. What are yours?

Lovesbooks87 The Grace Year!!! 5y
Robothugs Imaginary Friend!! 5y
BookwormM The Confession is so pretty I love that cover 5y
55 likes3 comments
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tcheer4life

Bianca Marais is marvelous in person and in writing. This book revolves around 3 people whose lives intertwine, two sisters who seemingly don't agree on much of anything and a young black girl who live in apartheid South Africa. Th character development is precise. The story is riveting. Don't miss it.

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Yeah_I_Read
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Thanks #Edelweiss and #penguinrandomhouse for allowing me access to this review copy.

I could barely contain myself when I got approved for this ARC! I loved @BiancaMarais debut Hum if you Don‘t Know the Words. I know a lot of you all loved it too.
This is so good already and I‘m only about a quarter through.
It‘s set in South Africa in the early 90s. I love reading how world changing events were experienced by regular people. But the story...

Yeah_I_Read Cont... is really about the 3 main characters. They are all women at different points in their lives and all are going through difficulties. As in Hum, the author manages to tackle heavy subject matter without making it feel heavy. Pick this up now if you can, if you can‘t it will be out mid July. ❤️❤️❤️ 5y
61 likes2 stack adds1 comment