My Son’s Story by Nadine Gordimer is a powerful, intimate novel that explores the deep tensions between personal desire and political commitment. When a schoolboy accidentally discovers his father — a respected teacher and anti-apartheid activist — having an affair, it sets off a quiet unraveling of the family. The betrayal isn’t just personal; it’s political, and it threatens the foundation of their lives.
Set against the backdrop of apartheid-era South Africa, the novel examines love in its many forms: romantic, familial, and ideological. Gordimer masterfully captures the complexities of a man torn between two women and a son torn between admiration and disillusionment. It’s also a story about the love of freedom, and the personal sacrifices demanded by the larger struggle for justice.
Emotionally rich and politically astute, My Son’s Story is both a touching family drama and a searing commentary on South Africa’s fight for liberation.
