GRADE 10
ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
STUDY GUIDE
, Mother to Mother Summary
A response to the real-life death of Amy Biehl, Sindiwe Magona's Mother to Mother is an
epistolary historical fiction novel written from the point of view of the mother of the boy
who killed Amy Biehl (in real life, this was Magona's own neighbor in Capetown). The
recipient of the letter is Amy Biehl's mother, which explains the title: The novel is the
explanation of why such violence existed in South Africa such that Amy Biehl could be
murdered, written from one mother to another. Mandisa, the mother of the murderer,
explains that she feels that the recipient deserves an explanation for the death of her
daughter, in the hopes that it might lessen the other mother's suffering if just a little. To do
so, she must describe the reality of the South African situation. Apartheid has left black
South Africans in such a terrible place of war and poverty that murder like the one
committed by her son has become common.
,CHARACTERS
, Mandisa
The narrator of the novel, Mandisa is writing to the mother of the woman her son killed. She
tells her life story as well as her son's in an effort to help the other mother understand what
circumstances breed a killer.
Mxolisi
Mandisa's oldest son and the murderer of Amy Biehl. At the time of the novel, Mxolisi is 20
years old. He is part of a generation of millions of children in South Africa who rebelled
against ineffectual schooling and spent their time fighting against the oppressive apartheid
government.
Mxolisi stays up all night, roaming the streets in with a group of other boys. He is fiercely
intelligent, loyal to others, and very caring and demonstrative to his mother. At the worst of
times he is disobedient and a bully to his siblings, at the best, he is a protective and
politically active leader.
Sister-Mother
The "recipient" of the novel, the mother of the murdered woman. In Mother to Mother,
Mandisa imagines her sister-mother's pain as she comes to terms with her own shame and
grief. Mandisa attempts to describe the conditions that led to her sister-mother's daughter's
death in order to lessen her suffering—if just a little.
Amy Biehl
A Fulbright Scholar who was in South Africa to help the country prepare for its first
democratic elections when she is murdered by Mxolisi. She is posthumously described as
good, caring, and optimistic. She is tall, with long and thick dark hair. She cares about her
cause and her time in South Africa, as Mandisa writes: "Your daughter has been a very good
friend, full of enthusiasm and eager to learn: the Xhosa language, the African dances, and
the ways of the people here." (12)
Siziwe
Mandisa's daughter, and the youngest of her children. She is described as moody and lazy
by her mother. She is Dwadwa's daughter.
Lunga
Mandisa's other son, the middle child, who is described as lazy and stuck in his own world.
Lungile is his father.
China
Mandisa's first husband, Mxolisi's father. A sweet love of Mandisa's childhood, he spent
some time as her secret boyfriend. Although he loves Mandisa, he comes to resent Mandisa
for becoming pregnant, and eventually leaves her. As a teenager, China is tall, handsome,
and popular.
Lungile
Mandisa's second partner, father of Lunga. He is described as "not much to look at,"
talkative, and short.
Dwadwa
Mandisa's second and final husband, father of Siziwe. He is a laborer and is described as a
simple and steady man. He is hard on Mxolisi, but treats him like his own son.
ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
STUDY GUIDE
, Mother to Mother Summary
A response to the real-life death of Amy Biehl, Sindiwe Magona's Mother to Mother is an
epistolary historical fiction novel written from the point of view of the mother of the boy
who killed Amy Biehl (in real life, this was Magona's own neighbor in Capetown). The
recipient of the letter is Amy Biehl's mother, which explains the title: The novel is the
explanation of why such violence existed in South Africa such that Amy Biehl could be
murdered, written from one mother to another. Mandisa, the mother of the murderer,
explains that she feels that the recipient deserves an explanation for the death of her
daughter, in the hopes that it might lessen the other mother's suffering if just a little. To do
so, she must describe the reality of the South African situation. Apartheid has left black
South Africans in such a terrible place of war and poverty that murder like the one
committed by her son has become common.
,CHARACTERS
, Mandisa
The narrator of the novel, Mandisa is writing to the mother of the woman her son killed. She
tells her life story as well as her son's in an effort to help the other mother understand what
circumstances breed a killer.
Mxolisi
Mandisa's oldest son and the murderer of Amy Biehl. At the time of the novel, Mxolisi is 20
years old. He is part of a generation of millions of children in South Africa who rebelled
against ineffectual schooling and spent their time fighting against the oppressive apartheid
government.
Mxolisi stays up all night, roaming the streets in with a group of other boys. He is fiercely
intelligent, loyal to others, and very caring and demonstrative to his mother. At the worst of
times he is disobedient and a bully to his siblings, at the best, he is a protective and
politically active leader.
Sister-Mother
The "recipient" of the novel, the mother of the murdered woman. In Mother to Mother,
Mandisa imagines her sister-mother's pain as she comes to terms with her own shame and
grief. Mandisa attempts to describe the conditions that led to her sister-mother's daughter's
death in order to lessen her suffering—if just a little.
Amy Biehl
A Fulbright Scholar who was in South Africa to help the country prepare for its first
democratic elections when she is murdered by Mxolisi. She is posthumously described as
good, caring, and optimistic. She is tall, with long and thick dark hair. She cares about her
cause and her time in South Africa, as Mandisa writes: "Your daughter has been a very good
friend, full of enthusiasm and eager to learn: the Xhosa language, the African dances, and
the ways of the people here." (12)
Siziwe
Mandisa's daughter, and the youngest of her children. She is described as moody and lazy
by her mother. She is Dwadwa's daughter.
Lunga
Mandisa's other son, the middle child, who is described as lazy and stuck in his own world.
Lungile is his father.
China
Mandisa's first husband, Mxolisi's father. A sweet love of Mandisa's childhood, he spent
some time as her secret boyfriend. Although he loves Mandisa, he comes to resent Mandisa
for becoming pregnant, and eventually leaves her. As a teenager, China is tall, handsome,
and popular.
Lungile
Mandisa's second partner, father of Lunga. He is described as "not much to look at,"
talkative, and short.
Dwadwa
Mandisa's second and final husband, father of Siziwe. He is a laborer and is described as a
simple and steady man. He is hard on Mxolisi, but treats him like his own son.
