Review: Vivien Horler
The Child, by Alistair Mackay (Kwela Books)
I had never heard of writer Alistair Mackay until I read this, yet it turns out he’s written two novels as well as short stories and columns. And The Child isn’t even his latest book, although it’s pretty recent, having been published in 2024.
Perhaps I wouldn’t have read his first novel, It Doesn’t Have to be This Way, since it’s science fiction, but it was longlisted as best novel for the 2023 British Science Fiction Association, and was also shorlisted for the 2023 SA Sunday Times Literary Awards.
A collection of short stories, The Lucky Ones, was published in 2025.
One review I read of The Child says the narrative could be the reviewer’s own life story. That is not remotely so in my case – the protagonist Benji is a chap, gay while I’m not, married (to another chap), and desperate for a child.
But he’s also a white, middle-class South African who lives in Cape Town, who feels guilty about his good fortune while so many South Africans have none, and has a complicated relationship with Sibs, his and husband Adrian’s domestic worker.
Benji and Adrian have recently returned to Cape Town after three years in New York. Benji is an anxious man with many unresolved childhood issues, had something of a nervous breakdown in the US, went off his meds, lost his job and the visa that went it.
The ostensible reason for their coming home is to adopt a baby, and they understand it will not be white. Benji accepts this, because he wants someone to love, someone who will be his legacy. Adam goes along with the project because he loves Benji.
Once back in Cape Town, among their straight friends with all the small children they’re producing, Adam becomes increasingly enthusiastic. They find an adoption agency, have the interviews, get their home checked out and buy a cot. All seems to be going well.
Until Adam queries why the adoption is taking so long, only for Benji to admit he has called the agency and unilaterally suspended the process.
Benji is also consumed with guilt over a one-night stand. Should he tell Adrian? (No, no, no.)
Meanwhile Sibs, who has a small daughter, is having trouble with her husband and wants to get a restraining order against him. She is also, unhappily, pregnant.
Ah, you see a solution? Benji certainly does. (But don’t leap to conclusions.)
Adrian, who really seems to be a saint, is enraged. He tells Benji he is sick of having major decisions made without him. He moves out and Benji falls apart, his only comfort being Frazier, his and Adrian’s adorable pug. (Mackay can certainly write dogs.)
Being back in Cape Town complicates issues. In New York Benji felt sorry for the homeless, but never guilty as he does in South Africa. He was never complicit in the US, but feels very much so here.
There is also his tricky relationship with his late father – who emigrated to the UK and is more British than the British – and his mother, who responded to the divorce by taking to her bed.
All this is against a recognisable background of Cape Town, street people, the winter rains, the summer south-easter, the awkward relationship between blacks and whites, a general shortage of water (it’s set around Day Zero time), electricity outages and crime.
I’m making it all sound absolutely ghastly, but it’s not. Benji is in a dark place, but there is love, and hope, and an adorable dog. I found The Child beautifully written and extremely moving. And it’s a great cover.
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The Child, by Alistair Mackay (Kwela Books)
I had never heard of writer Alistair Mackay until I read this book, yet it turns out he’s written two novels as well as short stories and columns. And The Child isn’t even his latest book, although it’s pretty recent, having been published in 2024.
Perhaps I wouldn’t have read his first novel, It Doesn’t Have to be This Way, since it’s science fiction, but it was also longlisted as best novel for the 2023 British Science Fiction Association, and the 2023 SA Sunday Times Literary Awards.
A collection of short stories, The Lucky Ones, was published in 2025.
One review I read of The Child says the narrative could be the reviewer’s own life story. That is not remotely so in my case – the protagonist Benji is a chap, gay while I’m not, married (to another chap), and desperate for a child.
But he’s also a white, middle-class South African who lives in Cape Town, who feels guilty about his good fortune while so many South Africans have none, and has a complicated relationship with Sibs, his and husband Adrian’s domestic worker.
Benji and Adrian have recently returned to Cape Town after three years in New York. Benji is an anxious man with many unresolved childhood issues, had something of a nervous breakdown in the US, then lost his job and the visa that went it.
The ostensible reason for their coming home is to adopt a child, and they understand it will not be a white child. Benji wants someone to love, someone who will be his legacy. Adam is going along with the project because he loves Benji.
And once back in Cape Town, among their straight friends with all the small children they’re producing, Adam become increasingly enthusiastic. They find an adoption agency, have the interviews, have their home checked out and all seems to be going well.
Until Adam queries why the adoption is taking so long, only for Benji to admit he has called the agency and unilaterally suspended the process.
Benji is also consumed with guilt over a one-night stand. Should he tell Adrian? (No, no, no.)
Meanwhile Sibs, who has a small daughter, is having trouble with her husband and wants to get a restraining order against him. She is also, unhappily, pregnant.
Ah, you see a solution? Benji certainly does. (But don’t leap to conclusions.)
Adrian, who seems to be a saint, is enraged. He tells Benji he is sick of having major decisions made without him. He moves out and Benji falls apart, his only comfort being Frazier, his and Adrian’s adorable pug. (Mackay can certainly write dogs.)
Being back in Cape Town complicates issues. In New York Benji felt sorry for the homeless, but never felt guilty as he does in South Africa. He was never complicit in the US, but feels very much so here.
All this is against a recognisable background of the city, the winter rains, the summer south-easter, the awkward relationship between blacks and whites, a general shortage of water (it’s set around Day Zero time), electricity outages and crime.
I’m making it all sound absolutely ghastly, but it’s not. Benji is in a dark place, but there is love, and hope, and an adorable dog. I found The Child beautifully written and extremely moving.