Valentine’s Day is around the corner. In our series of love notes from romance novelists, Soweto-based author Lebo Mazibiko shared her thoughts on exactly the same questions posed to other writers. Mazibiko’s latest,Fabrics of Love, tells the story of a family shaped by history and the private battles that infiltrated their home.
After forced removals in the 1950s, Lemohang and Fumane Ntoi rebuilt their lives in Meadowlands, Soweto, turning to education and their faith to steady their household and raise their children, Buang and Seun. But stability was fragile. Fumane’s death left Lemohang carrying grief he did not know how to name or deal with, along with a strained relationship with his daughter.
Then, the book tells of the third generation of Ntoi women circling the ageing father. As Lemohang tries to preserve his idea of family and tradition, the young women in his orbit bring their own will, questions and desires. Their presence tests old beliefs about culture, legacy, love and marriage.
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Through characters Prettygirl, Rosemary and Moipone, the story traces how modern choices rub against inherited nuance. Then there are the secrets, the kind families keep to protect themselves, until those same secrets threaten to undo the very fabric holding them together. It’s a narrative that every South African will resonate with.
We are undoubtedly living in the Bridgerton era, where Cinderella stories are making a comeback. I think people have been dealing with a lot of challenging situations socially, personally and professionally, and what they are really looking for is a soft landing. Love should not feel like a struggle, and it should not be difficult.
People do not want to be slaying dragons out in the world and still have to fight at home. I think people want to experience love that is safe and gentle. The red roses that have money stashed in them. It just feels very ego-driven – which serves you as the person who is giving the gift – rather than it being about showing the other person (the recipient) how much they mean to you.
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