Super Short Summary

Ways of Dying by Zakes Mda is set in an unnamed South African town five years after the country's first post-Apartheid elections. It follows Toloki, a professional mourner, as he reunites with Noria, an old acquaintance, at her son’s funeral. They fall in love, rebuild her burned-down shack with communal help, and create a dream home while navigating personal tragedies and engaging deeply with themes of grief, community, and hope. The novel includes sensitive topics such as intra-Black violence, intergenerational trauma, and the hardships of post-Apartheid South Africa.