Review - Hot dogs under The Dakota

By 

Gloria McLean-Anderson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hot dogs under The Dakota (Paperback)

The title of this first book by South African author, JJ Gouws, `Hotdogs under the Dakota,' gives little hint of the story within. Told through the eyes of Petie, a young boy who has had to grow up quickly and fend for himself in the confusing world of adults caught up with their own problems, Petie learns to come to terms with his relationships with his unstable mother, who is trying to find happiness with a man, any man, his grandfather, strict and forbidding and his gentle grandmother, who loves him unconditionally but who doesn't fully grasp the family's deep dark secret.
Told with deep compassion and gentle humour, this book makes you think, and think again as the truth unfolds and the reader is forced to reassess the characters. I absolutely loved this book and felt compelled to write this review.
G. McLean-Anderson BA. English Lit.http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/1463564279/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Hot dogs under The Dakota: Amazon.co.uk: Johannes Gouws: Books

Hot dogs under The Dakota: Amazon.co.uk: Johannes Gouws: Books

Johannes Gouws

Hot dogs under The Dakota - Story Arc;

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle". Attributed to Plato Ref:..Wikihow.

The unspoken battle we all face is How to get through life with the least pain. Petie, the character in Hot dogs under The Dakota, sets about this challenge by trying to manage the people around him to improve his lot. When this fails, he turns to witchcraft and then religion, but his problems remain unresolved. Finally, he looks to himself, realizing the answer to coping with life lies within himself. 

Hot dogs under The Dakota.

Feedback from reader;

You are a wonderful storyteller and have captured your twelve-thirteen year old main character Petie's mind set very, very well. I am still in suspense as to the mystery that ties his Mother, Grandfather and him in such an intense emotional battle of wills at times. This is a good book and a great read.

Trishia: Singsnap.com USA.

Hot dogs under The Dakota

A fascinating, sometimes disturbing, insight into the lives of ordinary South Africans in 1955 as the country launches itself into full blown destructive Apartheid. Told through the eyes of a twelve year old boy surviving a dysfunctional family, this gritty story of cruelty, duplicity, love - and ultimately murder - is told with insight, compassion and humour. It is a great read