Solomon's Story

Solomon's Story

by Judy Froman

(Macmillan, R99)

As a person who is familiar with the story of Solomon Mahlangu, I was surprised to discover how enjoyable this fictional account of the young Struggle hero is. How-ever, one cannot really tell how much of it is fiction as Froman tells the story with impressive accuracy.

She was apparently only a child in 1976 and became familiar with Solomon’s case in 1995 while working with Judge Ismail Mahomed, who died in June, 2000.

The book is being quoted as a “youth’s novel” and that is also what makes it so enjoyable: it is written from 20 year-old Solomon’s perspective.

His mother, Martha, legal representative Ismail Ayob, and friend in arms, William, also tell their part of Solomon’s story.

The way in which Froman varies the grammatical use of English between characters makes the read almost believable. However, the poetic phrases constantly repeated in the narratives of characters make her a constant presence and deal a blow to the authenticity. That is probably where fiction persists.

The read is structured in a way that is similar to the theatre production, Kalushi, in what I guess is the factual side of the story.

This story is a perfect example of what differentiates an old tale from history. Old tales are told and, like the people who tell them, become frail and eventually die. History cannot die. It is embedded within our skins like birthmarks, telling us of how life was before we knew it, to teach us about life as we know it to be.

The fact that Froman has captured this small piece of South African history for the youth is, in itself, inspirational.

There’s no doubt that youngsters who do not know of Solomon Mahlangu will, after reading the book, recognise a greater sense of purpose and strength within themselves.