27 10 / 2012
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
I reread CtBC for about the eighth time, in this case for my Cornerstone class. I appreciate the book more with each read, and this time what struck my attention was the personal transformation of Kumalo, the rural African pastor who is the protagonist of the novel. The first few times I read the book, I was too busy admiring his character and faith to really notice what a complicated personal journey he goes through, what a challenge of doubt and despair he faces on his search for his lost son. He’s a provincial and ignorant man, however devout, at the beginning of the story, and the courage with which he faces the realities of the world while still holding to faith is perhaps the most inspiring part of this story.
