{"product_id":"playing-in-the-light-paperback","title":"Playing in the Light - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eZoë Wicomb\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"In her ambitious third novel, Wicomb explores South Africa's history through a woman's attempt to answer questions surrounding her past\" (\u003cem\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSet in a beautifully rendered 1990s Cape Town, Windham Campbell Prize winner Zoë Wicomb's celebrated novel revolves around Marion Campbell, who runs a travel agency but hates traveling, and who, in post-apartheid society, must negotiate the complexities of a knotty relationship with Brenda, her first black employee. As Alison McCulloch noted in \u003cem\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/em\u003e, \"Wicomb deftly explores the ghastly soup of racism in all its unglory--denial, tradition, habit, stupidity, fear--and manages to do so without moralizing or becoming formulaic.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCaught in the narrow world of private interests and self-advancement, Marion eschews national politics until the Truth and Reconciliation Commission throws up information that brings into question not only her family's past but her identity and her rightful place in contemporary South African society. \"Stylistically nuanced and psychologically astute,\" \u003cem\u003ePlaying in the Light\u003c\/em\u003e is as powerful in its depiction of Marion's personal journey as it is in its depiction of South Africa's bizarre, brutal history (\u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e, starred review).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eZoë Wicomb\u003c\/strong\u003e (1948-2025) was a South African writer living in Glasgow, Scotland, where she was emeritus professor at the University of Strathclyde. She is the author of \u003cem\u003eStill Life\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe One That Got Away\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eOctober\u003c\/em\u003e, all published by The New Press, as well as \u003cem\u003eYou Can't Get Lost in Cape Town\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eDavid's Story\u003c\/em\u003e. She was an inaugural winner of the Windham-Campbell Prize in fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 320\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.5 x 8 x 5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 03, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67972639457587,"sku":"9798893851137","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/oOXsHb8wM09798893851137.webp?v=1794430516","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/products\/playing-in-the-light-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}