And a Threefold Cord is a 1964 novel by South African novelist Alex la Guma. The novel is La Guma's second, and is not heavily reviewed by critics.[1] The novel is set in the Cape Flats, an impoverished area near Cape Town.[1]
The novel follows an unemployed protagonist, thematically exploring the opportunity for solidarity amongst the oppressed peoples in the apartheid regime, making the book a critique of apartheid South Africa.[2] Many critiques highlight the novels effective social history and social commentary: the novel represents economic conditions true to the Western Cape during the 60s, where housing shortages effected a number of displaced workers.[2][3] Other critics emphasize the strong imagery and writing that make the novel engaging.[4]
La Guma wrote the novel while under arrest at Roeland Street,[4] writing between 1962 and 1963.[5] It was the only novel by La Guma not to appear in the highly influential African Writers Series published by Heinemann.[1] The first edition of the novel was published by Seven Seas Books in East Berlin.[1] The second edition was by Kliptown Books in 1988.[1]
