Book cover of A Sin of Omission

Book description

Winner of The Sunday Times CNA Literary Awards. Shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize

Torn from his parents and tribe as a boy in the 1870s, Stephen Mzamane is picked by the Anglican church to train at the Missionary College in Canterbury to be a rural preacher in Southern Africa's…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked A Sin of Omission as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Marguerite Poland vividly brings to life a period in South Africa’s history about which I knew nothing, and she proves to be a masterful storyteller. 

In this book, I felt the horror and the tension of those 19th-century days before apartheid was finalized – but when the roots of what was to come were very much present. 

If you love A Sin of Omission...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Want books like A Sin of Omission?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like A Sin of Omission.

Browse books like A Sin of Omission

Book cover of Move Your Shadow: South Africa, Black and White
Book cover of Cry, the Beloved Country
Book cover of I Write What I Like

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,366

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like A Sin of Omission, you might also like...

Book cover of Deadly Revenge

Deadly Revenge by Patricia Bradley,

Deputy Jenna Hart has only been working in her sleepy hometown of Pearl Springs for seven months when city officials begin to be targeted by a killer. Twenty years ago, the construction of a dam caused people to lose their land to eminent domain. That wound has not healed with…

Book cover of The Duty of Memory

The Duty of Memory by Vicki Olsen,

Separating the true stories from the myths, The Duty of Memory provides a deeper understanding of the diverse motivations that drove ordinary people to join an underground network of French Resistants despite terrible odds and horrifying consequences.

This book takes the reader inside the true story of men and women…

5 book lists we think you will like!