Power Lines: Two Years on South Africa's Borders

At once clear-eyed and compassionate, this incisive account of life in contemporary South Africa by Peace Corps volunteer and first-time author Jason Carter opens a rare window on a world racked with turmoil yet full of hope. 8-page color photo insert.

A land of tension and segregation, relatively unchanged since Nelson Mandela' s release from prison nearly a decade ago, South Africa is a country fraught with deep racial divides. While white citizens enjoy lifestyles similar to Westerners, black citizens inhabit a world of poverty and deprivation. Despite Mandela' s regime-shattering election as President, there has been little improvement in the ability of the two sides to communicate, limited both by race and language.

In "Power Lines, Jason Carter, grandson of former President Jimmy Carter, offers a portrait of South Africa that few outsiders see. During his Peace Corps training, Carter learned Zulu and Siswati, and these tools helped to break down racial barriers. Befriended by blacks delighted to find a white person who spoke their tongue, Carter was embraced by the community, participating in rituals and everyday life. Carter' s moving accounts of his experiences reveal a willingness of people to reach out to each other--even in a society as divided as South Africa.

Compassionate and astute, Carter brilliantly depicts the strength and humanity of South Africans and their challenge to forge a vital bond.