The Pickup
The Pickup by Nadine Gordimer is a reprint edition published by Penguin Books on September 24, 2002, featuring 288 pages in English. This novel explores the complex relationship between Julie Summers, a woman rebelling against her affluent upbringing, and Abdu, a young Arab mechanic and illegal immigrant. Their encounter begins when Julie’s car breaks down in a South African city, leading to an attraction driven by their contrasting circumstances and desires.
Readers will find a narrative that delves into themes of identity, migration, and emotional turmoil as Julie and Abdu navigate their relationship amidst the backdrop of a changing South Africa and an Arab village. The story unfolds with unpredictable consequences that challenge their perceptions of each other, reflecting the broader societal issues of the time. This edition offers a nuanced exploration of personal and cultural conflicts, making it a significant addition to contemporary fiction.
Official synopsis Publisher
When Julie Summers’s car breaks down on a sleazy street in a South African city, a young Arab mechanic named Abdu comes to her aid. Their attraction to one another is fueled by different motives. Julie is in rebellion against her wealthy background and her father; Abdu, an illegal immigrant, is desperate to avoid deportation to his impoverished country. In the course of their relationship, there are unpredictable consequences, and overwhelming emotions will overturn each one’s notion of the other. Set in the new South Africa and in an Arab village in the desert, The Pickup is “a masterpiece of creative empathy . . . a gripping tale of contemporary anguish and unexpected desire, and it also opens the Arab world to unusually nuanced perception” (Edward W. Said).
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