Overview

As a brown boy growing up in apartheid South Africa, Himmet Dajee's life could easily have turned out quite differently. As the fourth, and largely discounted, son of tradition-minded Indian immigrants, he faced a future of oppression under the white ruling class. His path seemed predetermined: to follow his father in the shoe trade and accept an arranged marriage. But Himmet's name means courage in his parents' native tongue. Supported by a devoted older brother and fueled by his own driving ambition and hatred of apartheid, Himmet was determined to escape the course charted for his life. Despite almost insurmountable odds, Himmet carved a future of his own design, with a world-class education, a career as a cardiac surgeon, and a life a world away from South Africa. But Himmet had to confront his past if he was ever fully to be at peace with it. A Boy Named Courage: A Surgeon's Memoir of Apartheid is the story of one man's quest to overcome racism and oppression to find his place in the world and escape the shadow of his troubled homeland. Thoughtful, emotionally honest, and at times heartrending, this account of the personal toll wrought by one of the most shameful periods in modern history provides a unique glimpse into an often-overlooked community affected by apartheid. It is also a testament to the triumph of the human spirit, and to the boy who persevered against all odds to live up to his name: Courage.

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9781947976016

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This beautifully constructed, fascinating story of the complex life of Dr. Dajee and his family is a wonderful exploration of culture and conflict in South Africa. -Denis Goldberg, renowned anti-apartheid activist, imprisoned for life at the Rivonia Trial A most revealing and moving account from a deeply principled man who broke free from the bonds of apartheid to carve out a life of great purpose. I was touched by the agony of his heartaches and the joy of his accomplishments. -Michael Arkush, author of The Fight of the Century A moving account of a life of courage-to affront the wretched apartheid of a childhood in South Africa, to cope with newfound and unaccustomed freedom in Dublin, to train and work as a cardiac surgeon in the United States, to confront illness, loss, and loneliness in overcoming almost insurmountable odds. Dajee's past becomes not simply an autobiographical record but a torch with which to illuminate the future. -Eoin O'Brien, University College Dublin A beautiful and sad story of second-class citizenship in the iniquitous apartheid system, and a sincere tale of how no obstacle is too great when one is determined to achieve one's goals. -Anwar Suleman Mall, Emeritus Professor, University of Cape Town

Author Information

Himmet Dajee, MD, holds medical degrees from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the University of London. He was an assistant professor at UCLA and a staff cardiac surgeon at Kaiser Permanente. After two decades in private practice in California, he retired from surgery in 2006 and currently serves as a medical director at a California health care organization that administers health insurance for low-income patients. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and the American College of Chest Physicians. The recipient of numerous academic awards, Dajee has coauthored twenty-one papers published in prestigious medical journals and is a frequent speaker at medical conferences. Patrice Apodaca, a veteran journalist, is a former Los Angeles Times staff writer. She is currently a featured columnist for the Daily Pilot, a Los Angeles Times Community News publication.

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