Tales Of Life, Love and Loss

'Hillary [] understands intuitively that the best memoirs focus not on their authors but rather on the people they've encountered. Her book portrays her friends, family members, lovers and many others with compassion, humour and wisdom.

'Her stories include a charming account of an invitation to tea with Nelson Mandela, his wife Graça Machel and his old friend and lawyer George Bizos; her surprisingly warm encounter with famed heart transplant surgeon Christiaan Barnard; her struggles with and affection for her unhappy parents; her complex and unsettling first marriage to Denis and her warm and gratifying partnership with second husband Tony; and her intimate friendships with political prisoner Denis Goldberg, poet Lionel Abrahams; and theatrical producer Barney Simons.

'As we learn about these complex people, their triumphs and their shortcomings, what also emerges is a portrait of a nation struggling to find its soul through turbulent times, and of a woman who has devoted her life to human dignity and compassion.'