Book Review – sarahjacksonwriter

Rating: ****

Genre: Fiction: Literary

Sinazo and her sister Nonhlanhla are children of the village, brought up with traditional values and in the harsh natural environment that their ancestors called home. When they witness serial killer Tomas Ndaki murder a woman in the hills near their village, their lives take different directions. Nonhlanhla grows into a strong young woman, winning a sports scholarship to study a degree in Social Work, and Sinazo, haunted by her childhood experiences, sets off to Alexandra Township to seek her fortune as a hostess in a glitzy restaurant in Sandton.

Sinazo thinks her fortunes have changed for the better, when she begins a relationship with wealthy, but married, businessman, who sets her up in a swanky apartment. Things soon turn ugly when she reveals that she is pregnant with his child. The situation is complicated when her lover, contracts the services of Tomas, who has recently escaped from prison. Nonhlanhla senses that something is wrong, and with the help of the University team, who are researching women’s issues and domestic violence, sets out to save her sister.

Key’s novel is a powerful and thought-provoking examination of the real threat of domestic and general violence towards women in South Africa today. Her characters are believable, endearing, and the situations they find themselves in are all too real. Your heart breaks for every “Sinazo” out there with no one to save them. A wonderful and moving read.

“Multidimensional Meditation: An introduction to Natural meditation and Multidimensional Living” is Leanne Margaret’s follow up to her informative and easy to use guide “The Love of the Universe”.

Once again, Margaret offers clear and concise instructions on how to achieve the best meditative state for you. I personally love how she makes it clear that meditation isn’t some “mystic” unattainable state, as promoted by popular culture. There’s no need for gurus, charlatans, or sitting still for hours in uncomfortable positions, in order to achieve the benefits that meditation offers. You don’t have to possess special powers or magic, you just need to be yourself, breathe and go with the flow.

She recommends a range of meditations for each level of readiness. In her inclusive style, the dimensions she refers to correlate with recognised levels of psychological (ego/cognitive) development and/or spiritual (chakra/psychic) development, whichever fits best with your personal belief system.

The meditations range from the simple to the more advanced. I particularly like the dimension five visual meditation, which takes on an ‘Altered States” feel (without being scary). However, Margaret acknowledges that not everybody has mastered the art of visualisation, and also offers techniques based on audio and tactile cues. You are encouraged to develop meditations that fit with your personal beliefs and preferences.

She also provides recommendations on where to start, for those of us who may not be in a great mental state. After all, mindfulness is wonderful when you are functioning well, but not so easy to achieve when you thoughts are racing in random patterns.

I recommend buying both offerings, to allow you to experience all that Margaret has to offer, but you can easily use one guide without the other. This is well worth the investment. Available now through Amazon (Multidimensional Meditation) and bookstores near you.