Tasting the Sky

I'm always impressed when someone can piece together early memories, in this case ages 3-7, into a coherent story. Of course in this one the historical traumas pierce through moments of early childhood, making them more clear and more painful.

The main story is like holding a small child's hand and listening to all they have to say. It's lovely and sad and hopeful. Some moments are beautiful and some terrifying. This quote stands out, right before a terrifying story of the power imbalance of being surrounded by occupying soldiers:

"Summer passed, erasing the last traces of wildflowers and green grass. Migrating birds appeared as though barrels of confetti had been poured across the sky and swirled in endless formations. I waved to them." (160)

But I think the beginning, being a teenager on a bus and being stopped at a checkpoint by soldiers, is most powerful for me. I don't know how anyone could read that and not desperately want to end apartheid. The fear, uncertainty, and entrapment in those hours of waiting under armed guard. This is immediately after watching a teenager beaten for reacting to the fear by giggling:

"We stand still like trees--no talking, no looking at one another, no asking questions, no requesting water or trips to the bathroom, no sitting or squatting. We no not know what we are waiting for or why we are waiting. The hours stretch like rubber bands that break and snap against our skins, measured by the ticking of boots, going and coming across the yard, in and out of the building. I keep my eyes on our main guard, . . .He looks at us as though we are only suitcases in his custody." (7)

This is all for riding a bus.

I think what I wanted from this book was more interweaving of the teenager's and child's perspective, more comparisons or maybe more complexity in the parallels. But I think it is meant to be a simple story and in a way, it is. There's not really judgement or analysis, the teenager is still in a way a child just witnessing.