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Books > Local Author Showcase > Fiction - adults > Drama
Die ontroerende verhaal van ’n jong ma wat haar seuntjie se dood moet
leer verwerk.
Lank staan Juan-Carlos na die slapende kind en afkyk, dan krul sy hande vasberade om die bababedjie se reling en hy trek sy asem diep in. Hy sal hierdie ding wen. Hy sál! Hierdie onkeerbare, onsinnige bruising wat elke keer in hom opstoot wanneer hy die vroumens sien, gaan hy uitroei, wortel en tak. Sy is heeltemal buite sy bereik, verdomp! Kyk net hoe het sy vandag gelyk – die ene klas en styl en duur elegansie, met daardie somerblou oë en die vel so glad en wit soos albaster. 'n Regte, egte English rose, kompleet met erfgrond en 'n geslagsregister wat sy stellig kan terugtrek tot by Hendrik die Seevaarder. Wie is hy? Isabella D'Oliveira se weggooikind wat tussen kratte tamaties en streepsakke mieliemeel grootgeword het. En sy's boonop 'n ander man se vrou. Al wat moet gebeur, is dat sy onnosel hart moet aanvaar wat sy kop lankal weet: dat Rosalie Harrington-Jones net so pragtig en koud en onbereikbaar is as die bliksemse Aandster en dat sy is waar sy veronderstel is om te wees: aan die sy van 'n Engelsman met 'n lang bolip en 'n Jaguar. Laat hy wat Juan-Carlos is liewer sy emosionele energie reserveer vir die gesin wat wel aan hom toevertrou is." Die afgrond tussen hulle is so onoorbrugbaar as die Drakensberg se donkerblou klowe: sy is Boere-adel, een van die stoere Jordaans; hy is die Portugese kafeebaas se seun. Haar loopbaan het haar buiteland toe geneem, sy hart lê hier in Afrika. Daar is Henriëtte Jordaan se onversetlike vooroordeel teenoor KwaMoyeni se mense; die sjef, Thandi, wat na haar kyk met haat en afkeer in haar donker oë; en die klein seuntjie, Danny, wat teen Juan-Carlos se bors aanleun en duidelik die man se hart in sy klein handjie hou. Toe Rosalie egter teen wil en dank vir Juan-Carlos D'Oliveira op KwaMoyeni moet gaan werk, kom sy stelselmatig tot die besef dat dít wat die gemeenskap – en veral Henriëtte Jordaan – al die jare heen oor hom loop en skinder het, nie die volle waarheid is nie. Dis 'n fyn siel wat in daardie groot lyf woon, iemand met oneindige begrip en deernis vir mense, iemand wat haar weerstand dag na dag wegkalwe en haar weerloos voor die omvang van haar eie liefde laat. Maar dis eers toe sy die donker, wrede geheim ontdek wat op KwaMoyeni gehuisves word, dat sy besef: daar is 'n prys om te betaal, en sy is eintlik daarheen gebring om die rekening te vereffen. Gaan al die verskille, die misverstand, die manipulasie en die bagasie van die verlede hulle uitmekaar dryf, of kan liefde, vergifnis en aanvaarding die heling bring wat hulle al twee so nodig het?
What happened to Anna the moment after she pulled the trigger? After she looked her stepfather in the eye, and shot him, the man who sexually abused her and her sister for so many years? Seven years after It’s Me, Anna, a publication sensation at the time of its release, the author revisits the story of Anna Bruwer. How does one seek forgiveness for murder? Or is retribution the only way to bring about justice? These are the questions Anna – and the writer – wrestle with. This is an excruciatingly honest depiction of Anna’s life after her stepfather’s death: a novel filled with compassion, and ultimately hope.
The background is the notorious 1971 case in which nineteen citizens of Excelsior in the Free State were charged with breaking apartheid's Immorality Act, which forbade sex between black and white. In an extraordinary alchemy of words into art, Mda tells the story of a family at the heart of the scandal ? of Niki, the fallen madonna, Popi, her daughter by an eminent white citizen of the town, and Viliki, the betrayed son, and of how they come to terms with the repercussions and find resolution in surprising ways. By turns earthy, witty and tragic, this energetic novel deftly handles issues of racial identity, rape and revenge. It is also a brilliantly observed study of the inner workings of small-town South Africa, and the changes rural communities have undergone.
In a remote mountain village in Lesotho, the beautiful Dikosha
lives for dancing and for song, setting herself apart from her
fellow villagers. Her twin brother, Radisene, works in the lowland
capital of Maseru, struggling amid political upheaval to find a
life for himself away from the hills. As the years pass, Radisene's
fortunes rise and fall in the city, while Dikosha remains in the
village, never leaving and never aging. And through it all, the
community watches, comments, and passes judgment.
Die kortverhale in Maansiek verken 'n wye register: die Rooms-Katolieke geloof, charismatiese aanbidding, Afrika-mistiek, erotiek en moederskap, konflik tussen ras en geslag en sosiale status, spanning tussen die hede en die historiese, die sienlike en die onsienlike. As basis vir sommige verhale dien 'n nugter koerantberig of tydskrifartikel uit vervloe dekades wat binne die verhaalkonteks tegelyk humoristies en ontstellend is. Ander is gegrond op minder bekende aspekte van bekende figure of vertellings van onbekende vroue met uiteenlopende agtergronde.
UZama uziphilela nomama wakhe uKaMthembu abaxoxa naye ngakho konke. UThembelihle umngani wakhe omkhulu futhi osebone okuningi empilweni kanti uhlezi emxwayisa ngokuningi okumele akuqaphele njengomuntu wesifazane. Ukwaliwa kukaSikhumbuzo uThoko kubanzima ahluleke ukwamukela agcine ezifake emgwaqeni ashayiswe imoto andulele kwelizayo. Isiphalaphala esinguDaisy sizithola sisempini kanye noZama kubangwa uMbuli onguthishela wabo nohlezi ebaheha ngezipho.Ukufa kukamama kaZama kumkhumbuza amaphupho akhe okade efisa ukuwalandela kanti elinye lawo ukubhala nokugcina kumenza ashiye isigubhukane emendweni lowo.UBongani uzithola edidekile ngoba ebehlezi ekholelwa ukuthi wonke umuntu wesimame ujatshuliswa umendo. USparks noNeli bafakabuhlungu nokuthe emva kophenyo olunzulu kwatholakala ukuthi nembala uDludla onguMshushisi unesandla ekufeni kwabo ngesimanga samasamanisi esahlukaniso.
Meet the Mafus, a close-knit, traditional family with three daughters. As leaders of their church, The Kingdom of God, Pastor Abraham and his wife Phumla are guiding the community of Bulawayo in faith, while trying to keep the different branches of their family intact. Independent and feisty Xoliswa returns home, after a hiatus abroad, hoping for a fresh start and a chance to steer the family business; rebellious Yandisa has met the love of her life and is finally getting her act together; while dutiful newlywed Zandile is slowly becoming disillusioned with her happily ever after. The Mafus always present a united front, but as their personal lives unravel, devastating secrets are revealed that threaten to tear the family apart. For how long will they be able to hide behind the façade of a picture-perfect family?
An eminent, aging Australian writer is invited to contribute to a book entitled Strong Opinions. For him, troubled by Australia’s complicity in the wars in the Middle East,it is a chance to air some urgent concerns: how should a citizen of a modern democracy react to their state’s involvement in an immoral war on terror, a war that involves the use of torture? In the laundry-room of his apartment block he encounters an alluring young woman. When he discovers she is between jobs, he claims failing eyesight and offers her work typing up his manuscript. Anya has no interest in politics but the job provides a distraction, as does the writer's evident and not unwelcome attraction toward her. Her boyfriend, Alan, an investment consultant who understands the world in harsh neo-liberal economic terms, has reservations about his trophy girlfriend spending time with this 1960's throwback. Taking a lively interest in his affairs, Alan begins to formulate a plan that will have far-reaching consequences for all involved.
Winner of the M-Net Book Prize
“Die naald sink tussen haar oe in en buig. Die blink tandartsspuit van vlekvrye staal tref die skedel hard. Bloed. Sy hand lig weer op ...” Izak Hugo is ’n gefrustreerde tandarts van Port Elizabeth. Hy haat sy werk en smag na ’n meer vervullende lewe. Snags word hy deur gewelddadige drome geteister. Soos sy onvergenoegdheid opbou, begin hy sporadiese oomblikke van geheueverlies beleef. Wanneer hy ná so ’n episode sy vriend se verwurgde poedel in sy bakkie ontdek, begin hy sy greep op die werklikheid en homself verloor. Sake vererger wanneer ’n jong bendelid vermoor word en die bende vermoed dat lzak die skuldige is. lzak besluit om Transkei toe te vlug, maar die bloedspoor volg hom. ’n Kaalvuis sielkundige riller deur ’n opwindende nuwe skrywer. ’n Geveg tot die dood toe tussen goed en kwaad, maar die rolverdeling is net so onseker soos die uitslag.
Paul Rayment is on the threshold of a comfortable old age when a calamitous cycling accident results in the amputation of a leg. Humiliated, his body truncated, his life circumscribed, he turns away from his friends. He hires a nurse named Marijana, with whom he has a European childhood in common: hers in Croatia, his in France. Tactfully and efficiently she ministers to his needs. But his feelings for her, and for her handsome teenage son, are complicated by the sudden arrival on his doorstep of the celebrated Australian novelist Elizabeth Costello, who threatens to take over the direction of his life and the affairs of his heart.
Daar is iets aan die stil blik van die donker oe wat nie heeltemal reg lyk nie, en die oomblik dat die hees stem oor die luidspreker kom, weet Mattheus wat dit is. "Matt," se die hondebek, "dis ek. Maak oop asseblief." Mattheus Duiker, seun van Benjamin Duiker, eertydse eienaar van Duiker's Motors, maak die hek van die Kaapse herehuis oop vir sy minnaar Jack. Vermom soos 'n wolf dring Jack die intieme donkerte binne waar Matt wag dat sy pa doodgaan sodat sy lewe kan begin. Blinkoog oor die vooruitsigte sluip die twee jonges verby die studeerkamer waar die blinde ou man, deurdrenk van droewe verknogthede en donker vermoedens, sit en wag vir die voetval van die dood. Eben Venter se roman is 'n diepsnydende ondersoek na die verhouding tussen pa en seun, na die ontreddering van 'n man wat bitter min uit die verlede kan neem om hom toe te rus vir 'n lewe in 'n snel veranderende bestel. Intens. Ontstellend. 'n Meesterlike ontrafeling van die dun lyn van gevoel – Venter aan die toppunt van sy vermoens.
Wat hét met Anna gebeur die oomblik ná sy die sneller getrek het? Ná sy haar stiefpa wat haar soveel jare lank fisies en emosioneel verrinneweer het, vroeg een oggend in Bloemfontein in die oë gekyk, en toe geskiet het? Agt jaar ná die verskyning van Dis ek, Anna neem Anchien Troskie aldus Elbie Lötter weer haar pen op, en skryf die opvolg. Hoe vra ’n mens vergifnis, en wanneer mag jy wraak neem? Dit is die vrae waarmee Anna – en ook die skrywer – worstel . . . ’n Skreiend eerlike roman oor Anna Bruwer se lewe ná die moord op haar stiefpa – ’n boek gevul met deernis, en eindelik ook hoop.
Who can ever understand the heart of a mother when she is forced to abort her baby. Furthermore, who can ever understand the emotions of that baby when she finds out thirty- five years later, that she survived three attempted abortions. And then the final discovery: whó is really the Sustainer of Life and Death? “Tell it just as it happened, Mommy!” Lodene’s urgent voice pleaded with me and I was transported to the events of thirty-five years ago. There is a saying, “The truth shall set you free.” “Does it?” I had to ask myself as I battled through every word. The story is a truly captivating novel of suspense from the pen of a mother who begged the life of her baby from the hand of God. It will enthral readers and you will experience fierce emotions of love, disappointment, pain and hate. Thís true story took place in 1983, when abortion was illegal. Lonika, a young woman, lost her heart to a respected businessman, Wilhelm. “Lost in love,” is what Stephan would call it with a shrug of his broad shoulders, as he helplessly watches his brother, Wilhelm, change into a cruel, cold hearted spouse who tries his utmost to end the life of his unborn baby in underhanded ways. Lonika’s life becomes a treacherous journey between lies and heartless brutality. She escapes and flees to safety. Enough is enough! A life is taken. A life is given – but at a price. Once again Lonika must stand naked in the face of fierce negotiations.
Life wasn't always this hard for fourteen-year-old Mvelo, who lives with her mother, Zola in the shacks on the margins of Mkhumbane township. There were good times when they lived with Sipho, Zola's lawyer boyfriend. But when the beautiful and mysterious Nonceba Hlathi arrives, Zola has to make a choice. She also has her pride. Now their social grants have been discontinued: the one for Mvelo being underage reared by a 31-year-old single mother, and the other for Zola because of her status. And there is also an elephant growing in their shack as the terrible thing that happened that night in the revival tent remains unspoken. In her second novel, Futhi Ntshingila once again introduces us to a cast of strong women who have little, but are determined to shape their own destinies.
Travels with My Father is a beautifully written autobiographical novel. Written from the point of view of a young woman, daughter and writer, it is a frank, yet delicate and moving, account of her relationship with her father and his influence on her own life.In the footsteps of her father, the author travels the world. Yet, key scenes are set in Plumstead, a suburb of Cape Town, where her father lived most of his life. The relationships and divisions between members of a family that does not wear its heart on its sleeve, and some of whom are real eccentrics, are sensitively recorded. It all adds to an intricate picture of a changing South African society.
This is the story of a dreamer, 'an average man,' singled out by fate for an uncertain life. Jailed for 18 years under apartheid for unspecified sins, he emerges into a world that has no place for him. His fluctuating fortunes land him on the unpredictable, bitter-winter streets of Johannesburg, where 'harmlessness' is an 'unfortunate trait,' but tempestuous skylines offer space to breathe. A trumpet and an indigent dog are his accomplices in survival. But, it is his obsessive love for the erratic, hard-hearted Desiree that remains the one constant in his life and impels his search for the elusive meaning of existence. Through his protagonist - the trumpet-playing philosopher poet - author Nthikeng Mohlele weaves unique magic with words, posing powerful questions in his inimitably individualistic and evocative style.
From the classical form of 'The Weight of a Feather', first published by The Huffington Post (2013), to the suggestive allegory of 'The Leopard and The Lizard', this collection of short stories by South African author Judy Croome is an ideal mix of the familiar and the startling. These vibrant slices of life testify to the mysterious and luminous resources of the human spirit. Whether feeling the harrowing emotion in 'The Last Sacrifice' or the jauntiness of 'Jannie Vermaak's New Bicycle', the reader will delight in a plethora of stories that cross boundaries to both challenge and entertain with their variety.
Terwyl die 17-jarige Marta se pa in haar arms sterf, vra hy haar om na haar ma om te sien. Sy vertolk hierdie belofte letterlik en verlaat die skool. Marta verwerf 'n diploma in haarkappery en begin 'n haarsalon in haar tuisdorp, sodat sy haar ma kan versorg. Mettertyd kring haar dienslewering wyer uit: na die ouetehuis in Lambertsbaai en werk by die kerk. Sy en haar Ma het 'n roetine van Bybellees en bid in die aand, maar dis net nog 'n plig en hul gebede steek vas by afgerammelde rympies. Sy neem haar kort-kort voor om haar lewe beter in te rig, maar dit gebeur nie. Eendag word dit alles te veel vir haar - die dag toe haar blinde bewondering vir Deon Swanepoel haar in groot verleentheid bring. Dit is Marta se verhaal en hoe sy uit 'n web van pligpleging, onderdrukking, skewe waardes en onmoontlike drome bevry word. Hierdie treffende verhaal van onvervulde drome, leë werke en liefdelose pligplegings wat geen bevrediging bring nie, maar net hartseer en verwyte, wys dat alles omgedraai kan word wanneer mense tyd maak vir Jesus. Deur sy vergifnis en sy liefde te aanvaar, kan jy met dankbaarheid die toekoms tegemoet gaan.
As Zakes Mda's fifth novel opens, the seaside village of Hermanus
is overrun with whale-watchers--foreign tourists determined to see
whales in their natural habitat. But when the tourists have gone
home, the whale caller lingers at the shoreline, wooing a whale he
has named Sharisha with cries from a kelp horn. When Sharisha fails
to appear for weeks on end, the whale caller frets like a jealous
lover--oblivious to the fact that the town drunk, Saluni, a woman
who wears a silk dress and red stiletto heels, is infatuated with
him.
On a winter's afternoon Gertruida returns to Kiepersolkloof after her mother and father’s funeral in town. Her heart rejoices. They were not her mother and father. They were Abel and Susarah. People who walked with God. At the same time walking arm in arm with Satan. She was never their precious little crowned plover. When she still wished to run after dragonflies in her mummy’s garden, Abel had brutally stolen her innocence and threatened her with the fork-tongued leguan that walked by night. Child-woman who danced naked in front of the window in the moonlight while Susarah slept behind drawn curtains. Or was she awake? She closes and locks the gate to the farm-yard. In years to come she will have to pilot her own life. But she only knows how to hate; love has no meaning to her. Her boundaries were destroyed. The only place of solace and dignity that ever belonged to her was the hidden stone house she had built in a secluded kloof. In the house on the ridge Mama Thandeka sits with a sorrowful heart. For fifty three years she had watched a black blanket slowly descending upon Kiepersolkloof. At night she is deeply troubled because there are many things that she regrets. Years ago she was little Abel's black mama, and when she should have spoken up, she thula-ed. Now the time for speaking up has gone by. All that remains is to call the spirits of the papas and mamas to come closer so that she can speak to them: Sit down, listen carefully. Then, with iNkosi as her witness, the truth will flow from her tongue. And on Monday she hopes to shuffle down to the farm-yard with her notsung kierie to cherish Gertruida against her soft mama-bosom for a while. Even though Gertruida does not want to be held by anyone.
From the author of the beloved Hum If You Don’t Know the Words comes a rich, unforgettable story of three unique women in post-Apartheid South Africa who are brought together in their darkest time and discover the ways that love can transcend the strictest of boundaries. In a squatter camp on the outskirts of Johannesburg, seventeen-year-old Zodwa lives in desperate poverty, under the shadowy threat of a civil war and a growing AIDS epidemic. Eight months pregnant, Zodwa carefully guards secrets that jeopardize her life. Across the country, wealthy socialite Ruth appears to have everything her heart desires, but it’s what she can’t have that leads to her breakdown. Meanwhile, in Zaire, a disgraced former nun, Delilah, grapples with a past that refuses to stay buried. When these personal crises send both middle-aged women back to their rural hometown to heal, the discovery of an abandoned newborn baby upends everything, challenging their lifelong beliefs about race, motherhood, and the power of the past. As the mystery surrounding the infant grows, the complicated lives of Zodwa, Ruth, and Delilah become inextricably linked. What follows is a mesmerizing look at family and identity that asks: How far will the human heart go to protect itself and the ones it loves?
"A dark and terrifying novel presenting a mythical account of the development of evil through the history of Southern Africa."--Seattle Times. This ferocious new novel by one of South Africa's visionary writers is a post-colonial reimagining of the Book of Revelation--an unholy epic that reenvisions the catastrophic violence of European "civilization" as a hooded rider who spreads slaughter across the African continent--a work that is as unnerving as it is intellectually provocative.
Esther Wolmarans, die liefde van Andreas se lewe, is ’n deernisvolle,
diensvaardige, sagmoedige meisie wat deur omstandighede gedwing word om
die rol van versorger en huishoudster te speel. Volgens ou standaarde
is sy ’n oujongnooi in wording. |
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