When the Village Sleeps

A Novel

By: Sindiwe Magona

Narrated by: Sindiwe Magona

When the Village Sleeps is a visionary novel that explores the loss of identity and dignity in a people afflicted by decades of brokenness.

Told through the lives and spirits of four generations of amaTolo women, including The Old, who speak wisdom with ever-increasing urgency, it moves between the bustling township setting of Kwanele and the different rhythms of rural village life.

Longlisted for the 2022 Sunday Times Literary Awards, When the Village Sleeps recalls the sweeping sagas of the great A.C. Jordan and the Dhlomo brothers while boldly exploring urgent contemporary issues. An ode to the complex strengths of South African women, this powerful novel is also a call to respect the earth that nurtures human life and to live in self-sufficiency and harmony with the environment and each other.

Magona's storytelling invokes the poetry of S.E.K. Mqhayi as it sets in motion the proverb "It takes a village to raise a child." When the Village Sleeps is a compelling tale that will resonate with readers seeking a deeper understanding of South African culture, family dynamics, and the resilience of the human spirit.

The child and her will to live

I think this book should be in schools, as a physical book and the audiobook. This book was a way of connecting to how bedtime stories were told by grandparents. This story is hard to listen to because it’s still a reality to so many. With all of that said,I think parents should read this to their children,Sunday schools and any other gathering where young minds are nurtured.