"A meditation on the massacre of the innocents . . . Child of My Heart concerns itself with . . . the almost timeless, action-free lagoon of the spirit, the territory of dalliance and delight—and also with its paradoxes, and also with how to make a story out of it."—Margaret Atwood, The New York Review of Books

"[A] marvelous picaresque . . . Mda's purpose comes through clearly: to show how many ways of dying there are in the transition to a new South Africa, whether through the brutality of white overseers and policemen or that of black gangsters . . . Reflecting the startling contrasts in such a world, tender humor and brutal violence vie with each other in Mda's pages, as do vibrant life and sudden death. The struggle between them creates an energetic and refreshing literature for a country still coming to terms with both the new and the old."—Tony Eprile, The New York Times Book Review

"Elizabeth is feisty and charming, and she and the novel are a delight."—Kliatt

"In this funny, engaging novel . . . Elizabeth's intelligence and wry sense of humor come through strongly in her letters to her mother and her friends."—School Library Journal

Winner of the Civil War Society's Seal of Approval
Winner of the Michael Shaara Award for Civil War Fiction

"Tailor-made for young adults who enjoy historical adventures."—Booklist

"Cool, uncompromising, superbly written—this is a wonderful journey through teenage life by a writer who really gets it."—Kevin Brooks, author of Martyn Pig, Lucas, Kissing the Rain, and Candy