Behind the Walled Garden of Apartheid

Book excerpt: Set against the backdrop of the draconian apartheid regime, Behind the Walled Garden of Apartheid, Datnow’s memoir of growing up in South Africa deftly conjures up the era's blatant racism and the rich African landscape. The author vividly recreates her growing up years as white and Jewish at the height of the apartheid regime from 1948-1965, and her struggle as a young adult to come to terms with the wrongdoings of that dark era. The memoir is both a fascinating historical account and an intriguing personal narrative painted with humor and sensitivity.