A mother’s tragic account and suffering on the death of her beautiful Reeva, and the trial of the murderer, Oscar Pistorius.
| Author: | June Steenkamp |
| Publisher: | Sphere, 6 November 2014 |
| ISBN: | 0751558729 978-0751558722 |
| Characteristics: | 357 pages, Paperback ; 24 cm. |
| Source: | |
| Date Read: | 15-Aug-2025 |
The trial of Oscar Pistorius over Reeva Steenkamp’s murder attracted massive worldwide attention, and I had high hopes that this book was going to engaging and interesting.
It was written by her mother, and not surprisingly the first quarter of the text is spent praising and lauding her daughter’s beauty and other qualities. This makes for a tedious read and I struggled to keep interested. Later, the book delves into the supernatural (again, not interesting) when the author says she sees feathers and owls giving her messages from the deceased Reeva.
Career and Direction Change
Once past Reeva’s early life and the story starts covering Reeva’s career and love life, which proves easier to read. Starting her professional life as a lawyer in her late twenties, she turns to modelling and becomes a bit of a celebrity. No doubt she is beautiful, but 28 years old is late to begin modelling, and her modelling stint would have been short.
Personal Life
The author then gets into Reeva’s personal life, and it’s surprising how much the mother knows. Reeva comes from a family where the women have had at least three serious relationships in their lives. Reeva has a sister 18 years due to the mother remarrying. A lot of text is spent on the mother’s relationships and Reeva’s.
Reeva’s first mentioned was Jodey (6 years), Waren (6 years, 3 years her junior) and finally Oscar for about six months before she was killed.
June says that Reeva loved pleasing people before looking after herself, and I think this was her downfall, falling for the disabled athlete Pistorius. Before the murder, there were serious problems with the relationship, and she wanted to get out, but sadly left it too late.
The Court Case
There is a lot of detail on the court case, and the author did well to recall and record so much. But it was never going to be close. Celebrity can only take you so far and the evidence against him was strong and his excuse for shooting Reeva was weak and completely unjustified. I don’t think the book added more about the trial than what is already out there on the internet.
Oscar’s celebrity, I think, saved him from a harsher sentence. Reeva’s family was hard done by the leniency shown compared to the callousness of Oscar’s crime that night. I believe in general, it’s harder for victims to get a satisfactory result compared to what is handed out to the perpetrators.
Conclusion
The book was okay, but I did skip over a lot of the mother’s grieving words, they just went on for too long and didn’t add much to the story. It has probably dated somewhat now and would have been more interesting in 2014 when surrounded by the intense general media and public attention when the book was published.
đź“– Overview
- Published in 2014, this memoir is written by June Steenkamp, the mother of Reeva Steenkamp, the South African model tragically killed by Paralympian Oscar Pistorius.
- The book is both a personal account of grief and a public reflection on the trial that followed, offering insight into Reeva’s life, character, and the devastating impact of her death.
✨ Key Themes
- Reeva’s Life & Personality
June paints Reeva as compassionate, ambitious, and grounded, with dreams of making a difference beyond modelling and television. - The Night of the Shooting
The memoir recounts the events of Valentine’s Day 2013, when Pistorius shot Reeva through a locked bathroom door, claiming he mistook her for an intruder. - The Trial & Justice
June describes the emotional toll of attending the trial, the conflicting testimonies, and her struggle to reconcile the legal process with her personal loss. - Grief & Resilience
At its core, the book is about a mother’s journey through unimaginable grief, finding strength in faith, family, and the memory of her daughter.
🕊️ Tone & Purpose
- The narrative is deeply emotional and intimate, blending personal memories with courtroom observations.
- It serves as both a tribute to Reeva’s legacy and a candid exploration of loss, offering readers a window into the human cost behind headlines.
đź“Ś Takeaway
“Reeva: A Mother’s Story” is not just about a tragic crime; it’s about love, resilience, and the enduring bond between mother and daughter. June Steenkamp’s voice is both vulnerable and strong, ensuring Reeva is remembered not only for how she died, but for how she lived.
