Title: Place of Crying: Inkaba Yakho Iphi? (Where Is Your Navel?)
Author: Judy Witt
Publisher: Xlibris
ISBN: 978-1-5434-0166-0
Pages: 224
Genre: Historical Fiction
Reviewed by: John Murray
Pacific Book Review
Judy Witt’s “Place of Crying” tells three tales set in early 1880s Africa weaved closely together. The first focuses on two South African tribes, the Xhosa and the Khoikhoi. The second is on the colonial British protecting settlers. The final tale focuses on the Boers attempting to conquest or convert the heathens. The story begins during a war between most of the major tribes that draws in the British and the Dutch settlers.
While the story covers several years and a large cast, the focus is on a Xhosa and a Khoikhoi who fall in love. Coti, a Khoikhoi hunter, crosses paths with a fierce warrior named Tshane from the rival Xhosa. Coti becomes pregnant and the two decide to build a life together in Tshane’s tribe, as he is next in line to become chief. What follows is a beautiful and realistically paced relationship with ups and downs but grounded in a deep, abiding love.
The other two tales are important to round out the story. The British and the Dutch are both vital perspectives to the events of the region, but ultimately detract from Coti and Tshane’s life. Most of these sections connect back to the two lovers anyways as they are major players in the area. There are some small character arcs as British soliders marry or struggle to keep the tensions in the area from bubbling over. These sections can’t be removed from the narrative and are thankfully short. Allowing for the slow pacing until the narrative returns to Coti and Tshane to be a minor inconvenience.
The writing is fantastic and highly polished. Pacing, except for the British/Dutch asides, is equally well done. Everything works well when used to compare or contract Coti and Tshane’s lives. Namely Coti’s transition from absent-minded hunter to beloved member of the community, and eventually powerful medicine woman. Coti’s life is definitely the stand out of the story, and thankfully most of the events circle around her to astounding effect.
“Place of Crying” takes a loving relationship set against a country constantly on the edge of breaking out into tribal war and examines the importance of connections. Despite being from rival tribes, a hunter and a warrior forge a relationship that surprisingly serves to calm tensions in the area. It’s a beautiful love story, written well, and starring flawed characters in troubling times in a gripping tale that’s sure to capture any reader’s attention.
