In a small house somewhere deep in provincial South Africa, a mother raises her three children alone: ​​Zuko, Honey and Ash. Eight-year-old Zuko doesn't speak, Honey is in poor health and seventeen-year-old Ash has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, but there is a lot of love in the house.
After a series of tragic events, all Ash and Zuko are left with is the little house – and the name and address of a man in the far away city. Ash assumes that it is their father. Soon, the two brothers set out together – on foot, because there is not enough money for a bus trip. A rocky road full of deprivation, dangers, but also support and love lies ahead of them. Zuko experiences the world in his own way. Ash does everything to help and protect his little brother, but he also challenges him and finally finds a means of language for him. Although he doesn't speak, Zuko has a lot to say – and he rightly wants to make his own decisions.
Once in town, after months of walking, Ash tracks down the man. Is he  indeed their father? And will he take the two boys in? Kirsten Miller paints a multi-layered picture of the South Africa society: There is love next to violence, poverty next to wealth. This moving and with meticulous care constructed novel is full of tenderness. It points out the right to self-determination and reminds the reader to deal with otherness beyond categorization.

The author

Kirsten Miller (*1970) has written four novels and one non-fiction book so far. The Wilbur and Niso Smith Foundation awarded her for the unpublished manuscript of this book, and after the release under the title «The Hum of the Sun» in South Africa, the novel was nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award in 2020. «Hörst du, wie der Himmel singt?» is the author's first work that is available in German. Freelance writer Kirsten Miller lives in Durban where she also runs an inclusive studio where she creates and teaches.