Rain Runner by Carl Richardson

I recently listened to Rain Runner written by Carl Richardson and narrated by Malcolm Gooding via the exciting new audio platform mybib.africa, which is home to a vast host of South African books, plays, series and children's books - in both English and Afrikaans.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sensitively approached, Rain Runner is crafted with the honesty of first-hand knowledge and offers a gentle but accurate exposé on the harsh reality of what the South African landscape looked like in the 1980s.

In fact, I’d go as far as to say that it should be prescribed for high-school pupils in order to acquaint them, in an entertaining way, with the fabric of their country as it was before becoming a democratic society. Richardson introduces the reader or listener to all the historic struggles of Mzansi’s different peoples, and to the vast array of cultures and beliefs that make it the diverse, challenging, beautiful land that it is.

Simon is a six-year-old boy living in an ‘albino kraal’ in rural South Africa when a gang attacks it and carries off the dead children to sell their body parts to sangomas (witch doctors). Only Simon escapes. Terrified, he races across the veld, jumps on a freight train, and ends up on a farm where he is taken in by ‘Ouma’ de Beer, the mother of Riaan, an owner of a farm called Leeukop.

Ouma, a former teacher, becomes his tutor and mentor and a life-long bond of love is formed between them. Neither black nor white, Simon is considered an oddity in race-segregated South Africa, condemned to a life of torment and ridicule. His saving grace is his talent for running. His dream is to be the first albino to win a national title. How many trials and challenges must he overcome to turn his dream into reality?

There are many endearing moments such as the connection between Simon and Ouma which gradually grows into an enduring bond. Despite the tragic nature of his young life due to ongoing victimisation and bullying simply because of his looks, Simon impacts everyone he meets. Another poignant component is the unique friendship he forms with Baboo, the leader of the troop of baboons on the farm whose spirit continues to give him strength as he finds his way in a hostile world.

It is a tragic yet uplifting tale and a true reflection of a diverse society in which fear manifests in different forms, but which is mostly based on people’s apprehension of the unknown. It is a story of perseverance, hope and the revelation that humankind is inherently good. In fact, it is a must read for all of us who grew up or are still growing up in countries where prejudice and privilege still stand in the way of bridging the divide.