If You Want to Make God Laugh by Bianca Marais

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this release from 

the publisher in exchange for an honest review

If You Want to Make God Laugh (releasing 7/16) by Bianca Marais was a heart-ripper. I kept putting off reading this ARC because I loved the author's previous novel, Hum if You Don't Know the Words, so much and I was worried that this would fall short. Hardly the case! Marais has delivered another masterpiece. My heart did a steady melt through the book, then I started tearing up a bit, but the ending had me sobbing so much I couldn't read the words. I had to put down the book and walk around to catch my breath...but then I'd dive right back in.

Summary:
A rich, unforgettable story of three unique women in post-Apartheid South Africa who are brought together in their darkest time, and discover the ways that love can transcend the strictest of boundaries.

In a squatter camp on the outskirts of Johannesburg, seventeen-year-old Zodwa lives in desperate poverty, under the shadowy threat of a civil war and a growing AIDS epidemic. Eight months pregnant, Zodwa carefully guards secrets that jeopardize her life.

Across the country, wealthy socialite Ruth appears to have everything her heart desires, but it's what she can't have that leads to her breakdown. Meanwhile, in Zaire, a disgraced former nun, Delilah, grapples with a past that refuses to stay buried. When these personal crises send both middle-aged women back to their rural hometown to lick their wounds, the discovery of an abandoned newborn baby upends everything, challenging their lifelong beliefs about race, motherhood, and the power of the past.

As the mystery surrounding the infant grows, the complicated lives of Zodwa, Ruth, and Delilah become inextricably linked. What follows is a mesmerizing look at family and identity that asks: How far will the human heart go to protect itself and the ones it loves? [Also pictured: I don't usually buy baked goods but it's so freakin' hot that I've almost totally stopped using my stove or oven...so Kroger is taking care of breakfast lately]