Cry, the Beloved Country (Oprah's Book Club)
Home : Cry, the Beloved Country : Study Guide

Cry, the Beloved Country Study Guide

by Alan Paton

Cry, the Beloved Country study guide contains a biography of Alan Paton, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Stephen Kumalo, the pastor at the village of Ndotsheni in the Ixopo region of South Africa, receives a letter from the Reverend Theophilus Msimangu that requests that he go to Johannesburg to rescue his sister, Gertrude, who is very ill. In order to undertake the journey, Kumalo must use the money intended to be used to send his son, Absalom, to St. Chad's for his education. Absalom had gone to Johannesburg himself, and has not been heard from since. When a friend of Stephen Kumalo takes him to the train station to Johannesburg, he requests that Kumalo give a letter to the daughter of Sibeko, who now works for the Smith family in Johannesburg.

When Kumalo reaches Johannesburg, he waits in line for a bus and is tricked by a young man whom…

Read the full Cry, the Beloved Country Summary

Cry, the Beloved Country Essays and Related Content