The Syringa Tree

Pamela Gien's The Syringa Tree was the title I chose for the Library's book discussion this month. This is a heart-wrenching novel about life in South Africa under apartheid. Six-year old Lizzy Grace lives with her parents and the family's servants in Johannesburg. Lizzy's Black nanny, Salamina, is pregnant and secretly gives birth to her baby, Moliseng, in the Grace's house. Under apartheid laws, it was illegal for Black children to live outside of the ghetto, so Moliseng is kept hidden inside the Grace's home. A horrible tragedy causes Salamina to leave the Grace home and Lizzy is distraught at the loss of her nanny. Years later, another horrible tragedy occurs that causes Lizzy to leave South Africa. Salamina and Lizzy are eventually reunited and are able to come to terms with the events in their pasts.

Most of the people in the discussion group seemed to like this novel better than I did. The majority of the novel is told by the six-year-old Lizzy. Then we have brief glimpses of Lizzy's life when she is in college and again when she is married with her own child. But I felt their were huge gaps, and I thought it would have been more interesting to follow Salamina and Moliseng's lives. But the novel does have wonderful descriptions of South Africa, and the story made for a great discussion.