Widows face a different kind of challenges after the death of a spouse and have to raise the children and pick up the pieces.
However, moving on and forging ahead is not as easy as it seems and the painful stories faced by widows are hardly told.
The challenges, pain, sorrow and tears that widows often encounter following the death of a spouse are well-documented in a brilliantly written novel, Tears of an African Widow.
Authored by Dorah Nomhle Klaas from Bloemfontein, the novel tells the story of a couple of Qhawe and Banzi who fell in love while at university and got married.
But tragedy befalls Banzi who dies in a car accident and Qhawe is blamed for his death.
As with other novels which often end in either tragedy or sorrow for the protagonist, the author gives the reader a happy ending.
Once started, it’s hard to put the book down as its storyline is relatable to reality and explores the pain of a widow.
According to Klaas, she wanted to tell and demonstrate through fiction challenges widows often encounter in real life.
Even though she herself is not a widow, she often sat around widows who narrated their stories and she also drew inspiration from the society and the perception it gives to widows and how different the treatment is when compared to widowers.
The Bloemfontein-based author also witnessed her sisters’ lives after they became widows.
The book takes the reader on a memorable and educational journey and showcases happiness can be achieved after passing through turmoil. – Own Correspondent