What if forbidden love was all there was? Like a strange and unusual guest that lodges in the heart? Would you defy everything you knew and fight for it?
What if you could remember everything that ever happened to you since the day you were born? The moments and the minutes, the sorrow and the secrets? Would you want to?
What if there were boundaries that kept pushing you back, keeping you small and unnoticed? Would you be brave enough to rewrite the story and alter the course of your destiny?
'Part historical fiction, part magical realism, Suitcase of Memory explores the relationship between memory and history, love and power, and justice and the law. This is not only one of my favourite novels of 2021; this is one of my favourite novels of the 21st century. Kassiem is an exceptional storyteller…'
'A delicately wrought novel that cuts into the fabric of South Africa’s dark history. Utterly compelling and riveting.'
'I was charmed by the magic realism, moved by the fate of the characters and, in the end, buoyed by their indomitable spirits. Suitcase of Memory is a novel of laughter and tears, anger and amazement that lives on beyond the last page.'
'A jewel of a debut … Kassiem’s voice is fresh, intelligent, compassionate and sophisticated.'
'An exceptional novel that pulls the reader into a life where everything is not as it seems…'
'Unputdownable… woven together with expressions of love, times of tragedy and moments that will require you to stop and catch your breath.'
'Beautifully written, both funny and heartbreaking, I found it totally engrossing. I hope an international publisher has snapped this one up, it deserves to be widely read.'
'An ambitious work, weaving a tapestry with threads of our past, while delving into themes that are relevant in the present...you can tell it comes from the heart...'
'Brilliant.'
'Intriguing and enjoyable.'
A’Eysha Kassiem is a South African journalist and editor, who has worked in newsrooms both locally and abroad. She has been the News Editor at both the Cape Times and News24. Kassiem has also served as the Editor of Fin24, SA’s largest business site, as well as the international publication, PrintWeek, based in Dubai.
