Every Secret Thing: My Family, My Country, by Gillian Slovo (Abacus, £7.99 in UK)

Gillian Slovo is the daughter of Joe Slovo, a hero of the fight against apartheid in South Africa, and of Ruth First, his fellow-activist as well as his wife. White anti-apartheid activists were relatively rare then and their struggle was a hard and sometimes dangerous one, leaving the pair little time for organised family life. Though their daughter emerges as a powerful personality in her own right, it is her inspirational and courageous parents who dominate the book - which should surely be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the politics and society of South Africa.