When Masechaba finally achieves her childhood dream of becoming a doctor, her ambition is tested as she faces the stark reality of South Africa’s public health-care system. As she leaves her deeply religious mother and makes friends with the politically-minded Nyasha, Masechaba’s eyes are opened to the rising xenophobic tension that carries echoes of apartheid. Battling her inner demons, she must decide if she should take a stand to help her best friend, even if it comes at a high personal cost.
A powerfully insightful novel from one of the foremost voices of South Africa’s Born Free generation, Evening Primrose explores issues of race, gender, and the medical profession with tenderness and urgency.