If You Want to Make God Laugh (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780735219311)

From the author of the beloved Hum If You Don't Know the Words comes a rich, unforgettable story of three unique women in post-Apartheid South Africa who are brought together in their darkest time and discover the ways that love can transcend the strictest of boundaries.

In a squatter camp on the outskirts of Johannesburg, seventeen-year-old Zodwa lives in desperate poverty, under the shadowy threat of a civil war and a growing AIDS epidemic. Eight months pregnant, Zodwa carefully guards secrets that jeopardize her life.

Across the country, wealthy socialite Ruth appears to have everything her heart desires, but it's what she can't have that leads to her breakdown. Meanwhile, in Zaire, a disgraced former nun, Delilah, grapples with a past that refuses to stay buried. When these personal crises send both middle-aged women back to their rural hometown to heal, the discovery of an abandoned newborn baby upends everything, challenging their lifelong beliefs about race, motherhood, and the power of the past.

As the mystery surrounding the infant grows, the complicated lives of Zodwa, Ruth, and Delilah become inextricably linked. What follows is a mesmerizing look at family and identity that asks: How far will the human heart go to protect itself and the ones it loves?

Author: Bianca Marais
ISBN-10: 0735219311
ISBN-13: 9780735219311
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Language: English
Published: 07/16/2019
Pages: 448
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.45lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.00w x 1.60d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 04/08/2019 pg. 46
Publishers Weekly 04/01/2019
Kirkus Reviews 05/15/2019
Library Journal 06/01/2019 pg. 105
Booklist 06/01/2019 pg. 34