Although "apartheid" is now a familiar term in much of the world, a few brief details of its history seem necessary to explain its grotesque impact on the life of Ruth Khumalo as well as on her children and their children, including the boy.

NPR: One Boy's Heroism in the Face of AIDS

Because it provides a view of big historical and global developments going back to World War I, although the old history is brief, through the experiences of an American family.

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