Books
Less Words, More Respect
[My Experience with Aphasia]
This book tells of the experience of living in a relationship with aphasia (dysphasia). It is an experience of love and hope. It shows there is a future worth living for (Speakability, 1997).
“Suddenly my relationship is filled with silence. Do I run? How will we fill the emptiness? — My mind stood still. Slowly I discovered that all is not lost. My man’s intelligence, sense of humour, other senses and emotions were — thank God! — left intact.”
This is a personal account of love, communication and hope after Monica’s husband suffered a severe stroke that left him with aphasia (dysphasia). Suddenly, their relationship was filled with silence. Monica had to find new ways to understand the man she loved — and to discover that, even when words are lost, intelligence, humour, emotion and connection remain.
It is a story of courage, adaptation and love, offering hope to anyone living with aphasia or supporting someone whose life has been changed by stroke.
Watch More than Words - Living with the Silence of Dysphasia (Aphasia)
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Hottentot Venus
[The Story of Saartjie Baartman]
This is the true story of an ordinary, curious, 18-year-old, who travelled to a foreign country with all the excitement and expectation of any young girl, eager to see the big world, eager to earn some money.
Saartjie was told that she would work as a nursery maid when she left Cape Town on a ship to England. Instead, she ended up on display ‘as a piece of erotic meat’ in London and in Paris.
This book, for the first time, gives Saartjie a chance to tell her story as she lived it. Through her own words, the reader learns of the fear and anguish experienced by all who are like her — a foreign national in a strange land.
Supported by accurate references, the book shows that the erosion of human rights is why trafficking and bonded labour are still increasing explosively more than 200 years after Saartjie’s death.
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I wrote Apartheid and Me to help children begin to understand what apartheid meant in the everyday lives of ordinary families — and to open conversations about equality, discrimination, courage and hope.
The book includes a short chapter for teachers and guardians, providing background on the story of apartheid to support schools and those working with young people.
Watch the complete story below.
Then the full audiobook/video.
And underneath:
Want to explore the book further?
Buy Apartheid & Me
Also available in French and Spanish
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To Have not, to Hold
This book tells the story of Jeanie, a young nurse living in South Africa during the Apartheid years. Jeanie is a hard worker and an activist, but in her private life she has to deal with the problems caused by her abusive and aggressive husband and her best friend Zogi, who is struggling with addiction.
In a country divided, in which being not only black, but also a woman, is the cause of many injustices, Jeanie must navigate the contradictions of her everyday life. Told with honesty, the story brings together personal struggle, friendship, activism and the difficult realities of those years.
Watch Monica talk about the book here
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Out of the Loop
[YA psychological novel]
Sixteen-year-old Jules is living with severe anxiety in central London, where his grandmother is the only reliable adult in his life. Bullied at school and struggling to make sense of himself and the world around him, Jules retreats further into his own head.
Then he meets Sam — and discovers that even the simplest touch can bring a feeling of safety and belonging he has never known before.
A new friendship begins to change things. As Jules navigates fear, isolation and the unsettling feeling that he doesn’t quite fit the identity others expect of him, he must find a way to trust himself — and discover who he really is.
But when a girl is found beneath a bridge and Jules becomes the person everyone blames, keeping silent may be the one thing he can no longer afford.
Coming soon...