In the 1950s, I lived under apartheid in South Africa, with a Catholic, Lebanese mother and an English father. I was one of six. I grew up playing games like hopscotch, totally oblivious to the apartheid regime. Fast forward to 1994, and I'm forty-one years old and waiting in a long queue for hours to vote for Nelson Mandela. In her lighthearted and adventurous memoir, Ellie Levinson takes readers to the small, gold-mining town of Welkom, South Africa, where she and her five siblings attend school and give up sweets for forty days every Lent, as if queuing for the loo every morning isn't enough to atone for their sins!
Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Real people with a wonderfully rich life.
By Zig & Zoe
This is a really fun read. So often you read books that say "the names have been changed" They are real people with real names. What could be a more precious gift to give your family than these memories lasting for many generations. How blessed is a family that has a mum who is willing to spend years recapturing and putting those memories in chronological order. I'm looking forward to the next book because this author is surely destined to live over 100 yrs, yielding plenty of time to write a sequel.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.Funny, entertaining and fascinating life story
By Mo
I loved Let's Play Hopscotch. I laughed out lot so many times reading this book, especially about Ellie's childhood, as one of six children. What an incredible life she has led so far. Her experiences living in South Africa and Zimbabwe are fascinating as are the stories of her travels within Southern Africa and overseas. What a wonderful mother she is. She has brought up four children, always maintaining her fantastic sense of humour. Ellie's book gives a wonderful insight into life in South Africa. I highly recommend this book and look forward to her next book.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.Bringing back memories
By Sharon
For anyone who treasures his own childhood memories, "Hopscotch" is a "must read"! The warm-hearted, entertaining and "laugh-out-loud" anecdotes will keep the reader glued until the very last page. Having grown up "around-the-corner" from Ellie Levinson, attended the same school and having spent many fun-filled weeks together during our varsity vacs, I was more than curious to read this book. How I enjoyed every page! Ellie's writings triggered many happy memories of our carefree childhood in Dagbreek, Welkom. They also filled in the gaps of "Ellie's life after marriage". It was an inviting and engaging read, as I felt as if Ellie were sitting around the table with her friends in the warm kitchen in Nassau Street, relating all her exciting adventures. Thank you, Ellie, for enabling me to relive those happy years!
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