I Do … Don’t I
Zibu Sithole
Pan MacMillan
Review: Lauren O’Connor-May
If this book were a reality show, it could be called Real Career Women of Johannesburg - or something along that vein.
I’ve never seen a full episode of the Real Housewives series but this book’s vibes strongly reminded me of the bits of the show that I have seen.
The novel is a follow-up to The Thing With Zola and the ending suggests there is more to come.
The story follows the glamorous lifestyles and love lives of three families living in Johannesburg.
As with the first book, the story picks up when leading lady Zola returns from working abroad. Zola and the Mbali have been successfully dating long distance but now that Zola is back, things seem to be falling apart.
Also still on the scene is the parliamentary minister’s spoilt daughter, Okuhle, who is Zola’s boss and Mbali’s ex.
Okuhle has found the love of her life in old school chum, Leruo, and lebola negotiations should be in full swing, except Okuhle and Leruo’s families can’t stand each other.
Add to the mix Mbali’s long-suffering mother, Ongama, who has finally reached the end of her tether with her unfaithful husband and has moved, uninvited, into Mbali’s home. There she has taken over every aspect of his life, including his en-suite bathroom where she gets ready for her Tinder dates - lacy g-string underwear and all.
And if that isn’t juicy enough, Zoleka, Zola’s cousin, has a trick up her sleeve to get her boyfriend of 14 years to finally take steps towards marriage - but will it work?
Believe it or not, this is still only about 15 minutes of the fast-paced, saucy, highly diverting plot.
If you’re looking for a quick, fun, drama-filled, humorous read full of local flavour - including mini-bus taxis and load shedding - this is your book.