The Born Frees: Writing with the Girls of Gugulethu [Hardcover]

Wise, observant, compassionate, and free of sanctimony, Burge does a lovely job of skillfullyand respectfullyweaving the girls narratives into the larger story of a radically changing society still burdened by the wounds of an oppressive system.In this compelling and personal book, Kimberly Burge takes us deep inside the hearts and minds of a group of extraordinary young women whose struggles and courage epitomize what South Africa is like today.Readers will take the stories inSuch a warm book, full of brave young women you will never forget. My heart was deeply moved by their perception of their own condition, and that of the country at large.Incredible and inspiring, this account belongs in every library and on every bookshelf.Deftly combining memoir and sociology, journalist Burge describes her experience teaching creative writing to adolescent girls in the South African township of Gugulethu, near Cape Town, in 2010&. Through [these] stories, readers will understand what life is like for many young women in South Africa&. This is a troubling but inspiring read.[S]earing, close-up personal stories of teenage girls in a writing club&. [T]he individual profiles are rooted in harsh daily lives that spell out the heartbreak and the hope of what some have called a discarded generation&will make a strong connection with YA readers.An affecting portrait of post-apartheid South Africa, particularly useful for writing instructors serving at-risk constituencies.A creative writing group unites and inspires girlsof the first South African generation born free.