Hello Bookwurms !

[Pampered]

Originally posted by Icecub
who are they?? give the details please...

Frankie and Stanky, by Barbara Trapido....

In Frankie and Stankie, Barbara Trapido continues a trend for dark subject material, first glimpsed in The Travelling Horn Player.

This is the story of Dinah, growing up in South Africa in the 1950s and 1960s. Living with liberal parents, she experiences apartheid with growing disgust, but nevertheless does not allow it to interfere with the importance of a first boyfriend, doing well in exams and finding best friends.

Frankie and Stankie is a marvellous book. Trapido's trademark light touch is wonderfully on display as characters, both average and extraordinary are brought to life beautifully. But underlying her usual vignettes is the history of South Africa. For those who know little about the country this is a fantastic introduction to exactly what the Boer War was, to the way in which the British and Afrikaans battled for supremacy, and the attempts to undermine the regime of apartheid.

Frankie and Stankie draws no simple conclusions, and does not lay all blame solely at one person's door. It attempts to document a past (albeit from a clear personal standpoint), and does so excellently.

This is a wonderful book, and I would heartily recommend it.