Buried in the Chest
An interrogation of the painful history of apartheid with a unique literary approach: a tale of strength, of loss, of love, of identity, and of Black triumph.
In Buried in the Chest, Unathi is on a journey to search for her mother, while also navigating a journey of self-discovery. Gogo, Unathi’s grandmother, shapes Unathi’s path through secrets she hides; information she doesn’t share with her granddaughter. Unathi wishes to know her mother, Mavis, Gogo’s daughter. Gogo hides Mavis in her chest and refuses to have Mavis’s name breathe in her mouth or be vocalized. No one must say the name. The entire village is enveloped by the eery absence of mothers.
The novel is set in Moya, a rural village named after the strong wings that structure life and livelihoods. The villagers were moved there to open up space for White people. The winds are a destructive force but the people of Moya live with destruction, hinting at the underlying element of pain villagers experience because of White people’s intrusion.
Readers watch Unathi as she matures and discovers her sexuality, developing a relationship with another young woman. Yet, in Moya only heterosexuality is allowed. This secret about a part of her identity slips into and remains in Unathi’s chest. Similarly, unwed mothers are mocked, acts that co-exist with silence about boys and men also responsible for the pregnancies and babies. In the novel, Black men are round. They are strong and gentle, though, because of their gender, they are also elevated and superior to women.
As Unathi searches for her mother and herself, she has to contend with the harsh realities of identity politics in post-apartheid South Africa and the masks she must wear to survive.
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ENGLISH (South Africa) | Jacana Media
Prizes
Winner of the 2024 Dinaane Debut Fiction Award
Reviews
"Buried in the Chest deals with familiar themes in South African writing, but with an approach that is astonishingly fresh and accomplished. The author interrogates the painful history of apartheid with a unique literary approach, and the book will linger in the heart and mind long after reading. This poetic novel is the kind of inventive truth telling South Africa urgently needs as we continue to grapple with the past and imagine a better future for all." Dinaane Debut Fiction Award adjudication panel
"Mbunyuza-Memani’s writing style is evocative and emotionally impactful. Many different topics are handled with equal aplomb. ... Emotions and their physical effect on our bodies are relayed with stirring impact. ... Mbunyuza-Memani has come thundering out of the gate with a debut novel that will entertain, provoke thought — and make you feel." Rodney Ghobril, Mail&Guardian