"This is a book that lives, breathes and speaks to the reader in a quiet, sure, bold voice, through the telling of utterly believable human experiences. Every character is as real as flesh and blood. The land leaps off the page and settles all around you as you read. Glass takes you into her world, makes it alive in your own. Johannesburg in the high days of apartheid becomes as familiar as the shops around the corner. And the brutality of the regime is evoked with unsentimental candour through the unfolding story and perspectives of those who people it - black and white, Zulu, English and Afrikaner. The domestic suburban setting encapsulates the psyche of an entire nation. It is always a joy to read a book suspecting that you can guess what might happen next and being constantly surprised. Again and again here, events take an unexpected turn. You are led into dangerous terrain with such skill and humanity that instead of this hardening your heart, it opens it."

"There is a wonderful scene at the end of the book when Emily is taken by the boatman on Zebra Lake to the fountain in the centre to switch on the rainbow lights that illuminate it magically through the night. Earlier, Emily has shied from his rough appearance and harsh Afrikaner manner and now he too offers her a little guidance: "Alles moet verbygaan" - "Everything will pass." From the most unexpected of places comes a little glue to fuse the damaged pieces together."

"This is a new book with an old and wise heart. It may very well have the makings of a classic. "

To read the full review at Guardian Unlimited, click here.