Overview

Mates for Always is an engaging thriller set within a richly diverse cultural landscape. It evokes a vivid portrait of post-apartheid South Africa in transition, warts and all. The novel's many characters are convincing in their human frailties. Male fellowship and father-son bonds form its core themes. At heart, the narrative follows the enduring friendship between Sipho and Reneson, the two protagonists, and shows how their rare bond is tragically shattered when they become victims of the country's endemic crime.

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Reviews

Mates for Always is a remarkable book about what it means to lead an ordinary life in extraordinary times. Mudaly uses what seems, on the surface, to be an improbable friendship between two ordinary South Africans but that, in fact, turns out to be what one would expect from average individuals under normal circumstances. Through that friendship, Mudaly shows us in the most poignant way possible what apartheid took from each South African--the chance to be ordinary. More than that, Mudaly uses these two friends and their complicated family histories to show how post-apartheid corruption and kleptocracy have betrayed the dream of freedom. What a powerful book! - Jacob Dlamini, Professor of History, Director of the Program in African Studies, Princeton University, USA. Author of: Dying for Freedom: Political Martyrdom in South Africa. An intricate crime thriller with an insightful socio-political analysis of post-apartheid South Africa, uncovering its deep fissures and faultlines as well as the potential for inter-racial bonds. The strength of the novel lies in its exploration of masculine vulnerabilities and betrayal. - Sam Naidu, Professor, Literary Studies in English, Rhodes University, South Africa. Co-Author of: A Survey of South African Crime Fiction: Critical Analysis and Publishing History. The magnanimity of the human experience is what gives this novel its fictional edge. Pain, loss, compassion, faith, belief in the human spirit - these are all the ingredients that make this novel such a riveting read. - Naomi Nkealah, Associate Professor, School of Education, Wits University, South Africa. Author of And They Call Themselves Feminists.

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