Cry, the Beloved Country

Cry, the Beloved Country is a historical fiction novel by Alan Paton. Paton was a novelist and anti-apartheid activist in South Africa. The novel was published in February 1948, months before South Africa instituted apartheid. Cry, the Beloved Country explores the discrimination against Black South African citizens leading up to apartheid. It outlines the experience of Reverend Stephen Kumalo who travels to Johannesburg to help his sick sister. While in Johannesburg, Kumalo discovers his son Absalom murdered a white man, the son of a farmer near their village. The novel discusses grief and racial divides, as well as hope for a future free from discrimination.

This guide refers to the Scribner 2003 print edition.

Content Warning: Cry, the Beloved Country includes racism (including use of the n-word), violence (including murder), and child death.

Plot Summary

Reverend Stephen Kumalo receives a letter from Reverend Theophilus Msimangu about his sister’s illness. Kumalo leaves the village of Ndotsheni and takes a train to Johannesburg, hoping he can help his sister, as well as discover what happened to his son Absalom. When he arrives at Msimangu’s house, Msimangu tells him that his sister Gertrude has become a sex worker.