Written by: Matt Sloan

SEM’s own Alex Green will be In Conversation tonight (July 18) with author Bianca Marais at Oakland’s A Great Good Place For Books.

The event begins at 7pm.

Marais’ debut novel Hum If You Don’t Know The Words came out last week to rave reviews.

The Apartheid-era novel, which is set against the 1976 Soweto uprising, centers around Robin, a white ten-year-old girl whose parents are murdered and Beauty Mbali, a Xhosa woman searching for her missing daughter. How Beauty and Robin’s worlds collide is done with literary elegance and heart.

Publisher’s Weekly declared: “In this standout debut Marais handles topics such as grief and racism with a delicate intensity that will make readers fall in love with her characters. From the first few heartfelt chapters to a fast-paced and heart-wrenching ending, Marais has created a stunning historical drama that shouldn’t be missed.”