Author Thandeka Makhubu unpacks her new book, Where We Belong, exploring what it is like to grow up with and without a father, the expectation of toughness from a male child by society, relationships, power dynamics, and mental health.
The book follows the lives of Banele Mkhize and Jabulani Cele, two high school students who are trying to understand how they are supposed to show up in the world.
Mkhize experiences bullying and falls into depression because of loneliness and feelings of inadequacy. Cele is also isolated from his dysfunctional family and wishes to know more about his roots.
Sharing details about her first book, Makhubu says: "It is an incredible feeling to know that it’s done and how far we’ve come in the process. There’s a lot that’s been done, from writing to editing (twice), then cover design, typesetting, and printing, but this process has been so great. I’m really grateful that I got to have this opportunity."
"This will probably sink in properly once I see my book in a book shop. Then I’ll probably say, 'Wow, I’ve published a book.' I’ve always loved bookshops, so when I see my book where I’ve always seen other writers’. 'Mama, I made it' will be my celebration song on that day. Still, I’m appreciating every step of the process."
The 19-year-old explained the title of the book, and why it was changed from “Science Doesn't Always Make Sense” to Where We Belong.
“Where We Belong was originally titled "Science Doesn’t Always Make Sense." A large part of this was because the book wanted to portray how the "science" of being a man didn’t always fit how men felt or who they wanted to be. This "science" being the solid, fixed ideas on how men should be. I decided to call it "science" because, like science, these rules are fixed, they don’t change, and are almost taken as facts in real life. Men have very little space or opportunity to explore other parts of themselves outside of those "man boxes."
"Over time, we realised Where We Belong would be a better title because it included a larger number of people (even those who thought something traumatic of high school science). We felt it still held that idea of young adults finding themselves and 'where they belong' without needing critical thought from those who weren’t good at it."
Asked about her biggest challenge in writing the book, Makhubu said: "My biggest challenge in writing had to be writer’s block. I had a narrative I wanted to drive but struggled to figure out how to write it at times. How should the story play out? What theme do I want to encode and how? What can make this story interesting? What do Banele’s and Jabu’s personalities allow them to do and not do so this story is genuine.
“I also wanted to make sure the story was interesting and the most spice comes from romance so the characters do find their lives intertwining in the form of their relationships," she said.
The Star