‘When our mothers can’t speak, we must continue to tell their story’

Abuse, heartache and the healing power of forgiveness lie at the heart of Breakfast, Lunch & Supper: A feast of abuse, says the book’s author Hester Booysen.

Published by Shofar Book Distributors, this is Ms Booysen’s first book, and it was launched at a Grassy Park church last month.

The Mitchell’s Plain entrepreneur and mother of two says she drew on her childhood memories of growing up in Ottery to tell her mother Maria Kay’s story of both the “amazing work” she did throughout her community as well as the hardships she experienced in life including abuse.

The book’s message, she says, is aimed at those “who are suffering in silence (from abuse) and those who’ve witnessed these injustices to know that there is hope and you are not alone”.

Ms Booysen says it was a privilege to write her mother’s story while she was still able to “hear us sing her praises”.

Ms Kay adds: “I am a proud mom today having Hester as my daughter. I thank her for telling my story to the whole world so that those who suffer from abuse may find hope love and forgiveness.”

Ms Booysen says that as a child growing up in Gerard Way, Ottery, she promised her mother she would one day write about her life because “she has lived through so much”.

It was the grief of losing her husband, Malcolm, and other close family members in 2021 that finally spurred her on to write the book, she says.

“I needed to find a way to express my heartache and pour it out through my pen... the suffering of my mom, and all the heartache that it came with, came flooding back, and all I could do was continue writing.

“Breakfast, Lunch & Supper is about abuse but also the healing power of forgiveness and the transforming power of God, who is my foundation.”

It’s not just her mother’s story, she adds, but also the story of many other women on the Cape Flats.

“It speaks candidly of the harsh realities faced by many women and children back then and even to this day.

“This is also the story of so many other women, boys and girls. This generation needs to know how we got here and what our parents and grandparents had to sacrifice for us.

“When our mothers can’t speak, we must continue to tell their story. This book will make you laugh, cry, heal, and leave you wanting more.”

She adds: “You can rise beyond your circumstances, transform your mindset and live in your purpose. Don’t remain a victim but become a victor. Be the author of your own story, don’t limit yourself, turn your story into a breakthrough and an inspiration for someone else. Together we can make a difference, one person at a time.”

The book costs R200. WhatsApp 081 811 0264 or email breakfastlunchandsupper@gmail.com to get a copy.