From domestic worker to matriarch of South African literature, the book is a reflection on her writing journey.
The shocking story at the centre of When the Village Sleeps is as heartbreaking as it is - ultimately - full of hope.
For parents, skin colour is often a difficult subject and dealing with it through storytelling can be a useful aid.
A literary icon, her autobiographies offer a way of understanding the country’s brutal past in order to heal and move forward.