Cry, The Beloved Country

An immediate international best-seller upon its publication in 1948, Cry The Beloved Country is among the most acclaimed and meaningful books of the 20th century. By the time author Alan Paton died, more than 15 million copies of his extraordinary novel had been sold. Searching for the son he has not seen for many months, a Zulu pastor takes the train to Johannesburg. In his heart are growing fears – fears of the unknown, fear of the great city that kills the soul of innocent children, fear of being alone in a world where he no longer belongs, and fear of never finding his son. But unfaltering courage and simple faith lead him through a country now alien to him, past people to whom he is invisible, looking for answers to the questions that haunt him. What is justice? What is freedom? Where is hope? Narrator Maggie Soboil’s acting and directing career has taken her all over the world – from South Africa, where she was the leading female satirist, to Australia, to London’s West End and a TV Special for BBC 2, to New York’s Broadway and Off-Broadway, where she received an Obi Award for her performance in Poppie Nongena. She also produced and directed Boston Weekend Television, which gave birth to some of the funniest and most successful contemporary comic writers and performers.