By
– September 13, 2011
Lily Poritz Miller is a South African born playwright who co-edited a book of letters that were written by family and friends in Lithuania and abroad in the first part of the 20th century. A Thousand Threads, published in 2005, gave her a keen insight into the turmoil experienced by Lithuanian emigrants, and likely led her to the subject matter of her first novel, In a Pale Blue Light.
The book tells of a family of Lithuanian immigrants to Cape Town, South Africa in the early 1900’s, drawing on Miller’s own childhood memories of the city. The story is about the hardships encountered by Sara, a recent widow, and her five children as they try to settle in a new country where apartheid is rife and the white people around them are either anti-Semitic Boers or new Jewish immigrants like themselves. Unlike themselves, though, many of the Jews around them are happy with segregated South Africa. Moreover, they’re social climbers and prone to interfere in and gossip about the misfortunes of others.
It’s potentially great fodder for a story, but unfortunately Miller’s characters are insufficiently developed and don’t spring to life. Part of the problem is the words that come out of their mouths. They don’t feel a natural fit with the characters and their respective ages — primarily the teenager Lieba, whose thoughts are reflected in a discourse that’s totally out of line with her age.
The book tells of a family of Lithuanian immigrants to Cape Town, South Africa in the early 1900’s, drawing on Miller’s own childhood memories of the city. The story is about the hardships encountered by Sara, a recent widow, and her five children as they try to settle in a new country where apartheid is rife and the white people around them are either anti-Semitic Boers or new Jewish immigrants like themselves. Unlike themselves, though, many of the Jews around them are happy with segregated South Africa. Moreover, they’re social climbers and prone to interfere in and gossip about the misfortunes of others.
It’s potentially great fodder for a story, but unfortunately Miller’s characters are insufficiently developed and don’t spring to life. Part of the problem is the words that come out of their mouths. They don’t feel a natural fit with the characters and their respective ages — primarily the teenager Lieba, whose thoughts are reflected in a discourse that’s totally out of line with her age.
This makes In a Pale Blue Light a difficult read, though for anyone who lived in South Africa, and particularly those readers of Lithuanian stock, it offers some interesting insights into the challenges experienced by their recent ancestors.
Lauren Kramer is a Vancouver-based journalist, wife, and mother with a lifelong passion for literature. Born in Cape Town, South Africa, she has won awards for her writing and reported from many corners of the world. Read more of her work at www.laurenkramer.net.
