Books from the Backlog #191

Posted December 9, 2021 by Carole in Books from the Backlog / 10 Comments

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread.  If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks.

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This week’s neglected book

Books from the Backlog #191If You Want to Make God Laugh by Bianca Marais
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on July 16, 2019
Genres: Fiction / Literary
Pages: 448
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon | Audible | B&N | Kobo | Libro.fm

A rich, unforgettable story of three unique women in post-Apartheid South Africa who are brought together in their darkest time and discover the ways that love can transcend the strictest of boundaries.

In a squatter camp on the outskirts of Johannesburg, seventeen-year-old Zodwa lives in desperate poverty, under the shadowy threat of a civil war and a growing AIDS epidemic. Eight months pregnant, Zodwa carefully guards secrets that jeopardize her life.

Across the country, wealthy socialite Ruth appears to have everything her heart desires, but it's what she can't have that leads to her breakdown. Meanwhile, in Zaire, a disgraced former nun, Delilah, grapples with a past that refuses to stay buried. When these personal crises send both middle-aged women back to their rural hometown to heal, the discovery of an abandoned newborn baby upends everything, challenging their lifelong beliefs about race, motherhood, and the power of the past.

As the mystery surrounding the infant grows, the complicated lives of Zodwa, Ruth, and Delilah become inextricably linked. What follows is a mesmerizing look at family and identity that asks: How far will the human heart go to protect itself and the ones it loves?

Why did I add If You Want to Make God Laugh to my bookshelf?

If I remember correctly, the publisher sent me a NetGalley widget for this book. Since it sounded good and I didn’t want to miss out on a good book, I downloaded it. Unfortunately, I never got around to reading it. The Goodreads rating is pretty high at 4.33 so I am thinking it should be a good bet. I do have a few friends that weren’t impressed but I also saw a lot of 5 star reviews. I may pick up the audiobook so that I can get to it just a litter sooner. I would love for 2022 to be the year that I finally catch up with all of my past due NetGalley reviews.

What are your thoughts? Have you read this book?  Would you recommend it?

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10 responses to “Books from the Backlog #191

  1. I’ve never seen this book before but it sounds like something I’ll be interested in but also one I’ll put off reading for so long because of how heavy it actually sounds. I have the same resolution for 2022. haha

  2. I need to read and appreciate more World Lit. This does sound like it would be good and hopefully the audio will make it even easier to fit it into your reading. 🙂

  3. That would be awesome to finish up your Netgalley behind titles. I was all caught up in 2019 and now I have about 3 from the last 2 years which I am behind. This one isn’t the genre I would have taken. I get lots of widgets and even if I want to read them I only download then when I put them on the schedule. I’m a little harsh with myself because I want to keep my commitments to the publishers. So the things I don’t get to reading are the ones I purchased.