Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
Page 29
Page 30
Page 31
Page 32
Page 33
Page 34
Page 35
Page 36
Page 37
Page 38
Page 39
Page 40
Page 41
Page 42
Page 43
Page 44
4FOCUS-FEBRUARY2014totheairporttoseeheroff.ItwasoneofthebestChrist-masesofmylifeJenniferrecalls.Thegiftofbeingowntofree-domAfterleavingtheirhomelandMichaelandJenniferwerenallyabletoenjoythefreedomtohaveanormalrelationship.MichaelscareerasanengineertookthemallovertheworldincludingNewZealandAlabamaandCanada.TheGrahamsbecameglobalcitizens.TheydidntvisitSouthAfricauntilapartheidended.Jennifersayssheisgratiedthatfuturegenera-tionsofSouthAfricanswillnothavetoendurethesocialinjus-ticesofhergenerationthankstothelateNelsonMandelareallyanamazingmanwithgreatstrengthofcharacterwhosetanexampleofhowtoliveyourlife.Hewasbraveandbroughtaboutchangeovertheyearsshehaswrittensci-enticandmedicalarticlesaswellasstoriesaboutfoodandtravel.NewspaperwritinghelpedmesharpenmywritingchopsJen-nifersays.Herjournalisticbackgroundalsohelpedhertotellherlifestoryobjectively.AnImmoralProposalstartedoutasaworkofctionbutJenniferagreedthatitdidntringtrueafterapublisherfriendinNewZealandprovidedfeedbackonanearlydraft.Sherealizedthatherstoryhadtobeautobiographicaltoberealistic.Writingthebookwasanemo-tionalprocessJenniferrecalls.ThebooktookonitsownenergyandIrelinquishedcontrolofit.Itwasliberating.Itslikeamirrorreectingback.TherewasalotofrewritingandeditingtopolishthebookandJennifertookadvantageofthequietspaceoverlookingthelakeatScugogLibrarytocompletethemanuscript.AnImmoralProposalisadeeplypersonalmemoirbegin-ningwithJenniferschildhoodde-tailingwhatlifewaslikegrowingupinCapetown.Itspepperedwithanecdotesaboutthesometimescomicalsometimestragicanticsofthemembersofherextendedfam-ily.SpicedwiththeintrigueofhersecretromanceJenniferslifestoryissetagainstavividsocio-historicbackdrop.ReadingAnImmoralProposaltransportsyoutoadiffer-entworld.Photographsandcopiesofhandwrittenlovelettersbringthestorytolife.ButasJenniferrepeatedlywarnsNospoileralertsFutureplansincludewritingasequeltoAnImmoralProposalandarecipebookfeaturingfavou-ritesfromherchildhoodincludingbobotieaMalayinuencedsweetsourandspicymeatdish.ItssodeliciousJennifersays.LookforAnImmoralProposalonAmazon.comoratBlueHeronBooksinUxbridge.ByLynnCampbellFocusonScugogJenniferGrahamwithherrecentlypublishedbookAnImmoralProposal.PhotobyJ.PeterHvidstenContinuedfrompage3throughpeacefulmeansthroughanattitudeofforgivenessnotrevengeandviolence.PeopleofmixedracealwaysstrugglewiththeiridentityJenniferpointsoutspeakingfromexperience.TheproudparentsoftwogrownchildrenandvegrandchildrentheGrahamsarestillhappilymar-rieddespitetherockyearlyyearsinSouthAfricawherethereweresomanyobstaclestothefutureoftheirrelationship.ThecouplemovedfromUxbridgetoNestletoninAugustof2013.WhileMichaelisretirednowJenniferatage57isjuststartinghercareerasanauthor.TwentyyearsinthemakingJen-niferB.GrahamlaunchedherrstbookamemoiraptlyentitledAnImmoralProposalattheBlueHeronbookstoreinUxbridgeonNovember22013.JenniferstudiedCommunicationandPrintJournalisminAlabamaand