I bought this book at the Vancouver Airport after a long, dry spell of not reading much at all. I was looking for something that looked easy and accessible, and although the subject matter of this one didn't exactly fit the bill (the life of a Native Commissioner in pre-Apartheid era South Africa), something about it appealed. I wasn't disappointed. The Native Commissioner is one of those books you can't put down, even as (or maybe because) it's teaching you difficult lessons about history and politics, and simultaneously breaking your heart. As a long-time employee of Canada's own Department of Indian Affairs, I found the story told in The Native Commissioner particularly poignant, and particularly harrowing. Highly recommended.

I'm taking this book to my friend Lucie, who I think might enjoy it.