The Dubious Salvation of Jack V.

Jack Viljee's hometown of Johannesburg is still divided by apart­heid, though the old order is starting to crumble. According to eleven-year-old Jack, the world is a rational and simple place. But if life doesn't conform to Jack's expectations, there is always the sympathy and approval of the family's maid to console him. Not that Susie is a pushover. She believes violence, of the nondisfiguring variety, is a healthy form of affection-hence her not infrequent expression "Jack, I love you so much