A young choir mistress is found among weeds and rocks outside the local shebeen - murdered. Why? And by whom? The community of Meriting endlessly discuss the list of possible suspects. But, by unspoken consent, no one discusses the motive for this murder, although it is understood by all. And no one helps the police with their enquiries. One person, though, knows the true identity of the killer - but that person has good reason to stay silent. Will the killer be brought to justice and finally punished for the crime? Interwoven with this murder mystery is the story of sixteen-year-old Gaone and her sister, Precious. Both are members of the Meriting youth choir, preparing for a major provincial competition. The nightly choir practices continue despite the death of the young choir mistress. But in the background another killer stalks Meriting, as it stalks communities all over the country. This is a mass-murderer that strikes without mercy or motive, a mass-murderer that will always be beyond the arm of the law - the Aids virus. Gaone, panicked by all she has read about the virus, is desperately worried about her younger sister.
Precious lives life as though there is no tomorrow, as though her actions do not have consequences. Worse, she is attracted to the handsome bass singer Ebenezer, whose reputation is far from savoury. There is much talk of his relationship with an older woman, a truck-driver's wife. Will Gaone be able keep her sister safe? Precious does not appreciate Gaone's efforts to protect her. As far as she is concerned, Gaone is over-reacting, judgmental and intent on spoiling her budding romance. Is Precious right? Is Gaone so obsessed by her fears of HIV/Aids that she has lost touch with reality? Besides, Gaone has an eye on one of the tenors in the choir, so who is she to preach to Precious? Praise Song is a novel for young people and an impassioned plea for tolerance and an end to stigma against those who are living with Aids. At the same time, it is a gripping read, moving deftly between past and present so that the plot develops in complexity while the suspense builds to its page-turning climax.
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Jenny Robson was born in South Africa and now lives in Botswana. She has won many important awards for her children's books, including the Unesco Prize for Children's and Young People's Literature in the Service of Tolerance.
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