If You Want to Make God Laugh

A Novel

By: Bianca Marais

Narrated by: Bianca Amato, Katharine Lee McEwan, Bahni Turpin

From the author of the beloved Hum If You Don't Know the Words comes a rich, unforgettable story of three unique women in post-Apartheid South Africa who are brought together in their darkest time and discover the ways that love can transcend the strictest of boundaries.

In a squatter camp on the outskirts of Johannesburg, 17-year-old Zodwa lives in desperate poverty, under the shadowy threat of a civil war and a growing AIDS epidemic. Eight months pregnant, Zodwa carefully guards secrets that jeopardize her life.

Across the country, wealthy socialite Ruth appears to have everything her heart desires, but it's what she can't have that leads to her breakdown. Meanwhile, in Zaire, a disgraced former nun, Delilah, grapples with a past that refuses to stay buried. When these personal crises send both middle-aged women back to their rural hometown to heal, the discovery of an abandoned newborn baby upends everything, challenging their lifelong beliefs about race, motherhood, and the power of the past.

As the mystery surrounding the infant grows, the complicated lives of Zodwa, Ruth, and Delilah become inextricably linked. What follows is a mesmerizing look at family and identity that asks: How far will the human heart go to protect itself and the ones it loves?

©2019 Bianca Marais (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Lovely....Marais showcases her talent for pulling beauty from the pain of South African history with a strong story and wonderfully imperfect characters." (Publishers Weekly)

"A moving portrait of the choices women can make - and the ones we can't. Beautifully crafted and powerfully drawn, this book had me in tears." (Jill Santopolo, best-selling author of The Light We Lost and More Than Words)

"A story of three remarkable women at crossroads in their own lives against the backdrop of South Africa at the moment of stunning transformation that will keep you reading late into the night. Marais deftly completes a writer's hat trick, leaving you gutted, smiling through tears and soaring with hope." (Steven Rowley, best-selling author of Lily and the Octopus and The Editor)

Well written, excellent audible! Worth the read!

I’ve never read anything by this author before, and only heard of it in another review for a different book. From the beginning, the author does an excellent job foreshadowing without giving away too much or making it predictable. She also does an excellent job of following thru with every story line and doesn’t leave any holes or dangling characters. The story itself is heartbreaking, yet full of hope. Maybe because I was adopted out of foster care, or because the characters are so relatable to my own life, I found them to be believable, and appreciated that the author made sure to look for good, even in tragedy. This is one of the best books I’ve read in the last 5 years. Interestingly enough, also very apropos for the climate of 2020.

If you like Fredrick Backman - you'll love this.

I have a much longer blog post about thisbon my site htwearhers.com but I'd be remiss not to place this where and actual audience will see it. LOL

The richness of the story and the characters is surpassed only by the extraordinary writing. I'm a contemporary mystery/thriller girl. So for me to pick up and ADORE a book about three women from different walks of life struggling with the craziness that follows after Mandela is elected in South Africa says a lot. I thought the book was going to boringly politcal. I worried that it was set in a place I'd love to visit but have never been so maybe I wouldn't be able to connect with it fully. I was wrong on soooo many counts. I never do this, but I'm buying it now so that I can read it in print and underline the multitude of clever lines.

No, it's not too flowery, political, or hard to get into. you'll love the characters and be sad when the book ends even though she wraps it all up nicely for you.

this was so good!

narration was everything! kept me in entertained throughout the whole book. I was hit with a plot twist right at the end!

Great story. Fabulous narration. very emotional.

This book will make you laugh and cry. it is an emotional & enlightening read.

Great Story!

Drew me in right from the beginning, but in the second half it seemed to start to drag a bit. I felt it got a bit too preachy, as though the reader could not discern the points the author was making without them being spelled out. Overall, though, a great story, one I won't soon forget.

Beautiful, heartbreaking, inspirational

I couldn’t stop listening. As a South African living in America, it was a reminder of what life used to be like. The authenticity was incredible. The blend of truth and fiction so seamless that I was left wondering how many similar real life stories like this there could actually be. This author’s humor is also wonderful. Thank you for a beautiful, heartbreaking and inspirational story!

Such a good story with perfect narration

It took a few chapters to get into this book but then the story—with its twists and turns and the three terrific narrators—really picked up and held me captivated until the characters’ emotional conclusions.

Love

Beautiful stories love, family, sisterhood and the village it takes. The truest things we say to each other are never in words.

So beautiful

This story warmed my heart. It dealt with racism, misogyny, and class. But it showed love is the cure.

Beyond 5 Stars ⭐️

I have actually been done with this novel for a few days now. I cannot say enough good things about this novel and yet I am struggling to find the words to express the emotions that Bianca Marais brought forth while I was reading it. The reader will meet three women. All have a part in the story that is told in this novel, If You Want to Make God Laugh. We know the saying. . .If you want to make God laugh, make plans. And their stories are told. This novel pursues the political environment of the 1990's post apartheid South Africa just after Nelson Mandela is elected. HIV/AIDS epidemic is running rampant, racial unjust, lesbian girls/women are "taught" to undo their "wicked ways and thoughts", abuses of Catholic priests, civil unrest are brought forward, and these just name a few of what this novel entails. However, with the issues that are presented so are the emotions of love, loss, motherhood, family ties, and ethics. This novel is both heartbreaking and heart warming. Bianca's cup runneth over. As Mama Beauty says, "The ones we love the most are the ones we know the least."