HUM IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE WORDS

This lovely and moving novel takes us to apartheid era South Africa where Robin, a young white girl and Beauty, a widowed black schoolteacher, find themselves connected first by violence and then by love. Their stories alternate by chapter until they ultimately intersect, and as we anticipate their inevitable connection we can see all the ways that they need one another, despite their differences - making their bond all the more compelling when it takes shape. Full of suspense and emotion, this story challenges how we traditionally define family. It also demonstrates how easily notions of hate can be taught to children, but that these ideas are malleable, and under the right circumstances can not only be dispelled but turned into love.

What's better than an açaí bowl? I knew I'd never make the extravagant South African grills mentioned in this novel - this cover is way too colorful and gorgeous to photograph with a slab of meat! I read this book in Montauk, where my family loves to breakfast at a place called Happy Bowls - surfers wander in after riding the waves for hours and get their frozen fruit on. So I tried to recreate the açaí bowls I devoured daily while reading this book - it brought me back to summer and hope this photo will do the same for you!