Meet Popina Khumanda, author of The Smallest Ones: Two Sisters’ Escape from DRC Rebels and Their Pursuit of Freedom, in Cape Town!

Join Penguin Random House for a book signing where you’ll have the chance to chat with Khumanda, ask your questions, and get your copy of her book personally signed.

The Smallest Ones tells a harrowing true story – from captivity in the DRC to triumph through education in South Africa.

Event details

Date: Saturday 26 July 2025
Time: 10:00
Venue: Bargain Books Canal Walk, Century City, Cape Town
RSVP: canalwalk@bargainbooks.co.za / 021 551 6436
Facebook event

About the book

In the heart of a village untouched by the world’s chaos, five-year-old Popina took solace in the simple joys of childhood – climbing mango trees, chasing baby baboons and exploring the fields. But her innocence was shattered in an instant when a group of strangers invaded the village, bringing with them a terror that a young girl could never have imagined.

The Smallest Ones is a harrowing and powerful account of survival and resilience in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo in the early 2000s. Popina, her family and friends were captured by rebel soldiers and were subjected to torture and rape. After several years of captivity, Popina and her older sister managed to escape, and began an epic journey all the way to South Africa. But even there, their nightmare was not over.

Written with raw emotion and unflinching honesty, The Smallest Ones takes readers on a journey through the darkest corners of human experience, yet it is also a testament to the enduring power of hope and the will to survive. This is not just a story of tragedy, but a poignant exploration of the human spirit’s capacity to endure and overcome.

After eventually finding refuge in a children’s home in Despatch in the Eastern Cape, Popina started building the life she dreamt of as a child. Having had no schooling, she now found herself in a classroom and held a pen for the first time. And so began her journey to education and freedom.

Categories Africa Non-fiction South Africa

Tags Bargain Books Book events Book launches Cape Town Popina Khumanda The Smallest Ones