Joanne Joseph joins us in the studio to talk about her book, Children of Sugarcane.

In this episode of TGE’s Current Read, veteran broadcaster and bestselling author Joanne Joseph joins Samanatha Herbst (co-host and founder of parenting podcast The Great Equalizer) to chat about her debut novel, Children of Sugarcane.

Set against the backdrop of 19th Century India and the British-owned sugarcane plantations of Natal, Children of Sugarcane paints an intimate and heart-wrenching picture of indentured labourers in South Africa, told from a woman’s perspective.

Shortlisted for the 2022 Sunday Times Literary Awards, this book transports readers to a part of South African history that doesn’t get nearly enough airtime, and one that’s strongly rooted in Joseph’s own heritage.

Joseph chats with Sam about her writing process, what it was like to delve into the female experience at different points in history, and how pulling at the thread of ancestry and colonisation exposes so much about our world – and country – today.

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For a brief look into what Children of Sugarcane is about, here’s the blurb from Jonathan Ball Publishers:

Shanti, a bright teenager stifled by life in rural India and facing an arranged marriage, dreams that South Africa is an opportunity to start afresh. The Colony of Natal is where Shanti believes she can escape the poverty, caste, and troubling fate of young girls in her village. Months later, after a harrowing sea voyage, she arrives in Natal only to discover the profound hardship and slave labour that await her.

Spanning four decades and two continents, Children of Sugarcane demonstrates the lifegiving power of love, heartache, and the indestructible bonds between family and friends. These bonds prompt heroism and sacrifice, the final act of which leads to Shanti's redemption.

“Joanne Joseph has skilfully crafted fact into fiction. May Shanti’s story inspire others to tell herstory.” – Pregs Govender, activist and author of Love and Courage: A Story Insubordination

"Shanti is a heroine that the reader will not easily forget. The story that is told here is worth not only knowing but also remembering." – Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, author, filmmaker and academic