On Friday I bought the long awaited book, A World of their Own: a History of South African Women’s Education by Meghan Healy-Clancy who is a social historian trained at Harvard university. I heard about it being in the making long ago and have been asking around about its arrival on the bookshelves. I told the store manager at the Exclusive Books Killarney branch that he must stock more copies as he will be flooded by ‘Inanda Girls’ soon. Most branches don’t have copies yet, Hyde Park where I bought mine, had two. I heard it has already been launched in Cape Town. I read and finished it by Saturday afternoon. Reading chapter 2 I was relieved to notice that the author knows the difference between ‘ilobolo’ and ‘ukulobola’. I get so irritated when I re
ad ‘paid lobola’ in so many texts. Anyhow, I enjoyed the historical perspective, learned about some interesting historical details and was pleasantly surprised to learn about individuals I met late in my life without knowing they had been to Inanda (Joyce Sikhakhane, Barbara Masekela, Baleka Mbete, Ivy Matsepe-Cassaburi). Author Lauretta Ngcobo once told me she was there in the mid 40’s a class or two behind my mother. Sadly, most of the photographs are not great. If you don’t like long books don’t be discouraged by its 312 page thickness. Without the epilogue, notes, bibliography and index, the book is just 190 pages and if you don’t like introductions, take away 17 from 190. My personal interest aside, I believe this is an important book.
Those of you teaching Gender and Women’s Studies courses might find it worthwhile. It is definitely, a feminist tome.
