Fourteen-year-old Khosi yearns for this thing called the future-- something better than sickness and superstition in a shanty town. Does she want too much? A stunning YA coming-of-age story set in post-apartheid South Africa.

Khosi lives with her beloved grandmother, her little sister, and her weekend mother in a matchbox house on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. In this shantytown, it seems like somebody is dying all the time. Billboards everywhere warn of the disease of the day. When Khosi's mother turns sick, she refuses any care. No traditional Zulu medicine. When Khosi tries to take her mother to a western doctor, her mother tells her not to bother and to stay in school. Only education will save Khosi and her sister from the poverty and ignorance of the old Zulu ways.

School, though, is not bad. There is a boy her own age there, Little Man Ncobo, and she loves his blue-black lips and the color of his skin, so much darker than her own. But he mocks her when a witch's curse and a neighbor's accusations send her scrambling off to the sangoma's hut in search of a healing potion. She doesn't know what it is that makes the blood come up from her choking lungs. Witchcraft? A curse? AIDS? What must she do to save her mother from wasting before their eyes?

About the Author

J.L. Powers is a novelist and scholar. Her recent novel This Thing Called the Future is a coming of age story set in post-Apartheid South Africa. Her previous anthology was Labor Pains and Birth Stories. She holds master's degrees in African History from State University of New York-Albany and Stanford University, and won a Fulbright-Hayes to study Zulu in South Africa, and served as a visiting scholar in Stanford's African Studies Department in 2008 and 2009. She lives in San Francisco's Bay area.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

ThriftBooks is a fully independent seller of used books, having sold more than 160 million used and new books since we started in 2003. Each quality used book is sorted, graded, shelved and shipped by hand by our team of dedicated employees in our seven warehouses across the US. We have the best selection of books, in the right condition and format, at everyday low prices. We also have a dedicated, US-based Customer Service team, ranked in the top three by Newsweek for Best Customer Service in 2018 and 2019, so you can shop with confidence. We support and invest in our employees, appreciate and value our customers, and truly believe in the power of the written word to educate, energize, and engage readers of all ages and interests.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Thrift Books Global LLC
18300 Cascade Ave S, Seattle, WA, 98188, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

We guarantee each book that we send you. If you have any problems, please contact
our dedicated customer service department. They will do everything possible to
ensure you are happy with your order.

Shipping Terms

All domestic Standard shipments are distributed from our warehouses by OSM, then handed off to the USPS for final delivery.

2-Day Shipping is delivered by FedEx, which does not deliver to PO boxes.

International shipments are tendered to the local postal service in the destination country for final delivery – We do not use courier services for international deliveries.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	4 to 8 business days	4 to 8 business days
First item	US$ 0.00	US$ 0.00

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.