The winning story is about two sisters. One of the sisters is being affected by something that makes her to periodically go mad. Their mother and the other village members believe she is possessed in some way and she is taken to traditional doctors and churches but nothing is relieving her of the madness. The other sister wants so badly for her sibling to recover she even leaves school so that she can be with her. She begins to understand that the madness her sister is possessed with cannot be healed by the methods the villagers are using. She thinks her sister may be suffering from schizophrenia. She aides her sister with methods to avoid taking the traditional medicines her mother is forcing on her. But eventually that will not be enough and they must take more drastic measures to save the sick girl.
The story is a worthy winner. You can read Memories We Lost at The Caine Prize website. It is written in solid, beautiful language depicting the dramatic landscapes of the Eastern Cape in gorgeous images, an example being:
