Fiction
A Family Affair
ISBN:
9781770106673
Publisher:
Pan Macmillan, South Africa
Language:
English
Book Format:
Trade Paperback
Pages:
458
Date Published:
October 31, 2020
Family is complicated …
Meet the Mafus, a close-knit, traditional family with three daughters. As leaders of their church, The Kingdom of God, Pastor Abraham and his wife Phumla are guiding the community of Bulawayo in faith, while trying to keep the different branches of their family intact. Independent and feisty Xoliswa returns home, after a hiatus abroad, hoping for a fresh start and a chance to steer the family business; rebellious Yandisa has met the love of her life and is finally getting her act together; while dutiful newlywed Zandile is slowly becoming disillusioned with her happily ever after. The Mafus always present a united front, but as their personal lives unravel, devastating secrets are revealed that threaten to tear the family apart. For how long will they be able to hide behind the façade of a picture-perfect family
Reviews
In Nyathi’s ‘A Family Affair’, a troubled society mirrors the crumbling facade of an ‘ideal’ family
The patriarch of the Mafu family is Abraham, once a successful businessman but who has become a pastor, leaving his company to other family members to run while he concentrates on his version of religion. Xoliswa, in between being dumped by disastrous men, takes over his former company and proves herself more than competent. But none of the sisters, with the possible exception of the youngest, Zandile, show any ability at all in the business of picking partners.
A Family Affair: An Affair Rich With Lessons For the Modern World
This modern tale introduces us to the Mafu family set in the backdrop of the tumultuous Zimbabwean economy in the 2000s. We meet Pastor Abraham and his wife Phumla as well as their three daughters Xoliswa, Yandisa and Zandile.
Virtual Book Discussion
Senzeni Ndebele in conversation with Sue Nyathi.
Praise
Sue Nyathi is a powerful literary force.
A Family Affair exquisitely captures the complexities of family, culture and the societal constructs that surround women. Eloquent, evocative and utterly engrossing.
– DESIREE-ANNE MARTIN, author of We Don’t Talk About It. Ever.
A contemporary African saga
A contemporary African saga that serves up all the ingredients: rags and riches, hero women, sex, the megachurch. And romance – so much romance!’
– Karabo Kgoleng, writer, broadcaster, public speaker