SA reads discussion

This part of the book was hard going. I wonder if Ada realizes that Phil gave up?
Rose seems to be of little comfort to her family.

The interaction between Edward and Ada had me fuming. She's naive and would not disappoint her family, that's coercion. I wonder how many women in our country were abused in this manner?

Ada is resourceful, going to her aunt first to wash and then to play music at school.

I find it sweet that she thinks of Phil so often.

The birth was also startling, picked her baby up and had to get on her way again. I desperately want to rescue her

It is hard to realise that a mixed race child was so despised!
Life was hard for Ada and I think even harder for Cathleen who seems to have lost everything.
For someone who has had no training Ada is doing so well in teaching at the school.

She is resilient isn't she.
I wonder why the hatred toward a mixed race child? Is it because the child represents a violation of one race by another?

But why does it have to be a 'violation'? Not all mixed race children were the result of 'violation'. The wonderful totally beautiful Trevor Noah is a perfect example of non-violation. I would assume that such a child just 'doesn't fit' and is therefore someone to be feared.
I see Ada in a place where many white South African's found themselves at that time.... Wanting to be law abiding while not really understanding or agreeing with that law. Ada is questioning things, like many of us did and is to a large extent just going with the flow but at the same time knows that the day will come when she will have to make a stand.