Rage of Life — Dora Taylor

Homeless at sixteen, Linda Malindi must fight for survival. Desperate for help when the birth of her baby is imminent, she staggers into Angels One, a shebeen whose vibrant trio of jazz musicians draws devotees from Sophiatown's world of gangsterdom. Linda discovers that beneath the turbulence and violence, Sophiatown heaves with the ferment of an irrepressible vitality. Spurning the guidance of Ma-jaze, the hard-nosed shebeen queen, she is soon enticed into a new life of danger and intrigue. Her unconscious sex appeal and zest for life make her an attractive addition to the Angels One scene. But only when she meets Simon Manzana, a gentle newcomer who has left his wife and child in his homeland to seek work in the city, does she taste the first sense of security and love she has ever known. Torn between loyalty to his family and his fascination for the mecurial Linda, Simon is finally lured back to his village. While Linda hides her grief behind a curtain of gaiety, Ma-jaze speculates on whether Simon will ever return to Sophiatown. And if he does, whether Linda will forgive him. But nobody knows to what ends the need to survive will drive a man. And how enduring is a woman's love. In this city jungle all their lives are at stake.