Silas Ali

Silas is the husband of Lydia and the father of Michael. He works as a liaison between the Ministry of Justice and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He was part of the underground movement before the new government in South Africa, working as someone who rooted out infiltrators and collaborators. During that time, he had an affair with someone else in the movement and kept his involvement with the movement a secret from his wife which put his family in jeopardy. About twenty years ago, Du Boise raped his wife while Silas was being held in a police van. Silas has not really talked to Lydia about this, preferring not to confront her pain and hurt. His son Michael is a product of that rape, although Lydia thinks that Silas and Michael do not know this.

The novel opens as Silas comes face to face with Du...