A Person My Colour - by Martina Dahlmans (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Such a cute baby, where did you get her?"

"This is such a good thing you are doing."

"My friends were lucky, they got a white baby."

Born in Germany in the 1960s to war-traumatized parents, Martina Dahlmanns grew up in middle class suburbia, surrounded by loaded silences and unacknowledged prejudice. But she believes she's left those prejudices behind when, in her thirties, she moves to South Africa and becomes the adoptive mother of three black children.

Unable to answer increasingly difficult questions from her eldest, Lele, Martina turns to a community dialogue group. There, she meets Tumi Jonas-Mpofu, a young black woman from Gugulethu, whose friendship will define Martina's life and force her to reckon with the enduring impact of her privilege.

This timely and deeply personal memoir is a celebration of chosen family--but beyond that, it is an acute examination of the legacy of racism in adoption.

Review Quotes

"I dare you to read this book." -- Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela (Professor and Research Chair of Historical Trauma and Transformation at Stellenbosch University)

"A thoughtful and honest book of our time, well worth reading." -- Vivien Horler, Cape Argus

"Martina's honesty and her willingness to engage with issues around adoption and racism is what makes this book an incredibly important contribution and such a special book" -- Mervyn Sloman

About the Author

Born in Germany in the 1960s to war-traumatised parents, Martina grew up in middle class suburbia, surrounded by loaded silences and unacknowledged prejudice. For as long as she can remember, writing has been her go-to-place, allowing her to express the unthinkable and make sense of her feelings. She first came to South Africa on a holiday after the first democratic elections, missed her flight back and never left. Her writing career includes making up Chinese subtitles for Swedish porn and plotting weekly murders for a radio mystery-show in Berlin. She lives in Cape Town with her partner and their three children. Born and bred in Gugulethu, South Africa, Tumi grew up in the last years of apartheid, grappling from an early age with issues of social injustice and racism. Motivated to understand and challenge herself and those around her, she co-founded "This Dialogue Thing", studied psychology and took up boxing. She recently submitted her masters thesis and lives with her partner and their child in Somerset West.