A dark yet compelling book about oppressors and oppressed, Coetzee raises questions about justice and the human need to make some meaning of life. The scope of this short book is very wide and leaves the reader with questions to ask and answer, ideas to ponder over, plumbing the depths of human nature, loss and pain, resilience and what it means to be stripped down to the bare bones of existence.

This autobiography of American writer and poet Maya Angelou was a most amazing read for me. In it she describes her childhood and teenage years experiences. The first in a seven-volume series, it is a coming-of-age story that illustrates how strength of character and a love of literature can help overcome racism and trauma. And how the love and support of familly can take one through the most trying times.