Africa summary

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SUMMARY
It is time for a summer vacation and Kim, 13-year-old girl, visits her homeland with her mother to Africa. It is her first time visiting her family and while she enjoys the time getting to know them, her mom, a journalist, is at work reporting on the Truth and Reconciliation Hearings of post-apartheid in South Africa. Although Kim is getting to her know family, there is one member she cannot find much information about; her father. She has no idea where her father is. Every time she tries to ask information about him, it is like everyone is hiding something about him from her. Before her quest for searching for her father began, she meets a boy named Themba at a school she was attending. They become friends and he proves himself to be a loyal friend by going out of his way to find clues on the whereabouts of her father’s location. Together they embark on a quest running into various obstacles. These obstacles, being family related, are overcome in many different approaches. There are times where they lose hope in their search, but still continue their journey. Trying to find the facts to the Truth and Reconciliation, Themba and his family come to find out his father had died during this conflict. Themba finds where Kim’s father, Hendrik Fortune is, however does not relay the information to Kim right away because he thinks it will keep her from disappointment. Instead he sets up a meeting where Riana ‘accidentally’ runs into Hendrik Fortune at the Lion River. Kim sees this when she was with Riana. Now the truth is finally is out. Kim finally gets a chance to meet her father and over lunch discovers the type of person he is and also her half-sister.



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THEME
The major theme of the story can be analyzed when looking back at what the characters experienced. The protagonist of the story, Kim, portrays herself to be determined and shows great perseverance throughout. This is where the theme is derived from (her actions), which shows, you...