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Lorato lives a comfortable but lonely life in her retirement years, alone in the home her husband had built in their rural village on the Kalahari in southern Africa. She becomes a grandmother when she adopts Lesedi after the death of a neighbour from HIV-related causes. Then six more children come into Lorato's care, four of whom are biological grandchildren, two more are adopted. Now primary caregiver for seven grandchildren, she struggles to feed them all, to teach them right from wrong, and traditional ways of life in a world shifting and modernizing. We see how AIDS as well as cultural changes disrupt traditional life when Lorato's son dies of the disease.
About the author
A. S. Compton grew up on her family's inter-generational farm in Ontario and attended the University of Western Ontario, receiving her BA in English and Literature in 2012. Before beginning university, she lived in Botswana, Africa for her gap year working in HIV awareness and outreach. She is active in fair trade, social justice and empowering youth initiatives. She loves reading and cycling, and still spends much of her spare time on the family farm with her two children.
A Grandmother Named Love is A. S. Compton's first novel.
