William O'Dowda – författare

First and foremost, this is a love story, although the multiple endings fragment the romance into a tragedy and a comedy as well. It is a true story, autobiographical. But it doesnt mention any names. No one is really sure exactly what happened. We may never know. When we do, a sequel could be on the cards! The white groom is writing the story as he sees it, adoring his black bride. He relates the traditional rites of passage and compares them to modern conventions. But after the Lobola is paid, expectations do not materialize, so it gets complicated. Readers can decide which of multiple endings they like best, which they are inclined to believe.In the end, the narrative moves to deep reflection and lessons learned, looking for some value in the experience. The story gives you goose bumps at times, it makes you laugh, it makes you cry, and it might make you cuss. But it will open your eyes. The themes of racism, xenophobia, alcohol abuse, tribal authority, and gender rights all come into play on the South African checkerboard of love. As another writer once famously said: alls fair in love and war.

After a gap of two years since where book 1 ended, the groom resumes his tale. He explains how he dealt with the gridlock. It has not been a cooling off periodpassions are still running high. The groom looks deeply into the tension between foreign missionaries from the North and indigenous people on the mission field in the South. Again there is a mix of both narrative and analysis, enriched by research done during the pause between Book 1 and Book 2. Before the book ends, he has visited three other famous mixed marriages over the centuries in South Africa. Some failed and some succeeded, and he observes some South African realities about marriage and dissolution.