SYNOPSIS

Xuma, the protagonist of the book, is a guy undergoing change. He moves from his northern
village to seek employment in the gold mines in Johannesburg, a large metropolis. He finds
himself in Malay camp, a black ghetto. He meets Leah there, a kind but aggressive lady who
offers him a place to stay. Xuma is determined to work in the mines despite the unfavourable
conditions that black people have to endure. Xuma lacks experience with the city and its
customs. During his first stroll around the city, he is astounded to witness his fellow Black
people fleeing from White people even though they haven't harmed anyone. He doesn't flee;
instead, he holds his ground. He retaliates against an attack by a police officer. This causes
him to flee. Because of his naivety, his friends refer to him as an idiot. Leah is an unrepentant
lady who leads a rough and self-assured existence. She brews alcohol, which is forbidden for
Black people but not for White people. Xuma is upset that Leah failed to alert the other
female bootleggers in her camp, leading to their arrest. Leah responds, "Life is so in the city,"
to this. Johannes and Daddy are two other residents of Leah's home, and they both turn to
alcohol for comfort. Xuma develops feelings for Eliza, Leah's niece, a teacher who looks like
a white person. She is in love with Xuma, but she leaves him bitter because she is passionate
about the white man's things and wants someone who speaks the same language as them. this
makes Xuma seek Maisy's love though he had previously turned her down. Because of his
strength, Xuma becomes a successful mine boy and gets a boss boy title working for Paddy
Oshea, also known as the Red One, one of the mine supervisors. Despite not being Black,
Paddy is polite and empathetic, and he befriends Xuma. For Paddy, a person is first and
foremost a man; colour is secondary. But as Xuma quickly finds out, the apartheid
government still views him as a second-class citizen since he is a black guy. Following the
tragic deaths of Chris and Johannes in a mining accident, Paddy and Xuma lead the strike
alongside the mine boys when they are required to return to work before the facility is fixed.
This occurrence, in which all the workers unite and set aside their differences, is what teaches
Xuma the true meaning of being a man first and then a colour.