Lesedi Setlhodi

Title: The White Room Author: Craig Higginson Publisher: Picador Africa Reviewer: Lesedi Setlhodi Craig Higginson likes to establish a strong sense of place when depicting his work. With his novel The White Room he takes us back and forth in time and places as the story takes place in Paris, London and South Africa, places that Higginson is familiar with himself even though not so acquainted with Paris hence we possibly learn that Hannah Meade, the main character and a successful playwright is not adventurous and does not get to explore Paris. Even though she planned to meet and reconnect with Pierre in London where her play about him was to be piloted, most of the story is set in Paris where Hannah was an English teacher who gave private lessons to those who felt needed them. Pierre’s lessons were once a week until they both decided to go beyond the grammar rules of the English language and explored one another intimately. The book not only explores the love that Hannah and Pierre shared but also their interpersonal relationships, their loss, their fears, forgiveness and they did that while Pierre was being taught how to use the English language accordingly. For Pierre it may have been love at first sight - in a stalking manner though and it took a while for Hannah to really see him and accept him for who he was.