Two women in South Africa are neighbors, and one, Hortensia James, is black, and the other, Marion Agostino, is white and very prejudiced. They have been feuding for years, and have both recently lost their husbands. Hortensia is very bitter, especially when she finds out
…more more about her husband’s betrayal, and takes it out on everyone around her. Her remarks that cut through the racial prejudices she encounters are refreshingly honest. Marion is dealing with the fact that her husband’s death has left her with no money, and she will have to sell her house. Circumstances force Hortensia and Marion to live together for a while, and they very gradually come to understand each other. Hortensia reminded me a little of Ove in A Man Called Ove, but there wasn’t as much humor in this book as in that one, and it could have used more to offset the difficulties in their lives. (less)
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