Review of Frankie and Stankie by Barabara Stapido

Frankie and Stankie is a Whitbread nominated novel from 2004 which tells the story of Dinah growing in the context of a racially aggravated Durban in South Africa.

It was presented to me as a book to be read for the first meeting of a Book Group I joined at Langside Library. I had never heard of it and probably would never have read it if it hadn’t been given as a book group read.
I have to say that I enjoyed the book very much despite the fact the book seemed to be written with a female audience in mind.

Dinah and her sister, Lisa are born to German immigrants who move to South Africa during the second World War. They grow up in 40’s post war, South Africa just as all the Pass Laws and segregation laws are passed by a far right wing South African government in the 1950’s.

The book mixes history, humour and pathos in equal amounts and truly engages with the reader on many levels. Dinah is a very engaging character who tries to conform to the times and become what will be the perfect housewife only to turn against it and eventually meet and marry a political activist and move away from South Africa.

Quite clearly, the book is written across a semi-autobiographical landscape given the author’s background.
On the whoie, a very interesting choice for the Book Group. Next up is Tenderness of Wolves by Stefi Penney. Yikes! More chiclit!