Summary

The novel Mother to Mother by Sindiwe Magona begins with a letter from a woman named Mandisa to the mother of the young woman Mandisa’s son has murdered. She says she is not surprised her son murdered someone, but she cannot understand what the white woman who was murdered, was doing in a black neighborhood and why she was not afraid. 

Mandisa describes the morning of the murder, which was also supposed to be the woman's last day in South Africa before returning to the United States. She has lunch with her friends and offers to drive them home to Guguletu. Meanwhile, in Guguletu, Mandisa wakes her three children Mxolisi, Lunga, and Siziwe. None of them go to school as the teachers are on strike, and the children are protesting. Mxolisi goes to meet with a large group of friends. They try to find a place for their meeting and then run when they hear a commotion to find a looted delivery van set on fire. They scatter when the police come, but then hear another commotion and find a small yellow car surrounded by frantic people. 

Mandisa is at the house of her employer, Mrs. Nelson, when Mrs. Nelson comes back early to tell Mandisa there is trouble in Guguletu and that she will drive Mandisa home. After Mrs....