Rachel Swart

Rachel Swart is Manie Swart's wife, and Anton, Astrid, and Amor Swart's mother. After being sick for nearly a year, Rachel dies at the start of the novel. Her death acts as the narrative's inciting event, and inspires all of the Swart family members to reconvene under one roof. Shortly after she dies, Amor remembers that her mother made her father promise to formally give Salome the house where she has been living for many years.

Of all of her family members' deaths, Amor's mother's death is arguably the hardest for her to reconcile. She is only 13 when Rachel passes, and has been living at her school's hostel. When she learns that Rachel is gone, she refuses to believe the news. Her response suggests that Amor was closest to her mother.

Rachel is also close to Salome. She and Salome not only appear to share a connection...