My Traitor's Heart
| Author | Rian Malan |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Autobiography, Politics |
| Publisher | Atlantic Monthly Press |
Publication date | 1990 |
| Pages | 349 |
| ISBN | 0-87113-229-X |
| OCLC | 20016093 |
| 968/.00992 B 20 | |
| LC Class | CT1929.M35 A3 1990 |
My Traitor's Heart is an autobiographical book by Rian Malan first published in 1990 on his return from exile.[1] It is subtitled "South African Exile Returns to Face His Country, His Tribe and His Conscience" or "Blood and Bad Dreams: A South African Exile Explores the Madness in His Country, His Tribe and Himself".
The book describes Malan's experience of growing up in Apartheid-era South Africa in which he explores race relations through prominent murder cases.[2][3] In addition, he reflects on the history of his family, a prominent Afrikaner clan that migrated to the Cape in the 17th century and included Daniel François Malan, the South African Prime Minister who was a principal ideological force behind Apartheid doctrine.[1]
The book became a best-seller, was translated into 11 languages[4] and was still in print 14 years later. It has been called both brilliant and racist.[5]
References
- 1 2 Malan, Rian, My traitor's heart: A South African exile returns to face his country, his tribe and his conscience, New York: Grove Press, ISBN 0-8021-3684-2
- ↑ William Finnegan (19 January 1990). "Books of The Times; The Harsh Judgments of a White South African". New York Times.
- ↑ Adams, Tim (2007-03-25), "The dark heart of the new South Africa", The Observer, retrieved 2009-09-05
- ↑ de Vries, Fred (2008), The Fred de Vries Interviews - From Abdullah to Zille, Wits University Press, p. 325, ISBN 978-1-86814-469-3
- ↑ "White Fright". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 July 2008.