’n Nuwe lewe wag op hom

In 1939 bars die oorlogbom in Europa. Drie miljoen kinders word uit London ontruim na veiliger gebiede. Een van hulle is die sesjarige Charles Smith, op pad na ’n onbekende tante van sy pa in ’n klein dorpie in Skotland. By aunty Grace wag ’n nuwe lewe op hom.

Aan die anderkant van Europa ruk die Duitse Sesde Leër op teen Rusland. Tussen die manskappe is die vurige majoor Oswald von Stein, Hildegard se stiefseun. Voor hulle wag die Russiese winter, Stalingrad en die krygsgevangenekampe van Siberië. 90 000 word gevange geneem, net sesduisend oorleef.

Charles en Oswald beleef teenoorgestelde kante van die oorlog. Beide bevind hulself egter op pad na ’n plaas in Afrika waar hul paaie sal kruis met dié van Seretse Khama en Mentje de Vries.

Wilfrid Cooper was a rare man during the dark days of apartheid: an advocate whose career coincided almost perfectly with the rise and fall of the Nationalist government, intersecting eerily with that of its “architect” HF Verwoerd, and yet a man whose enlightened principles and liberal thinking saw him regularly defending those less fortunate.

His storied legal career saw him embroiled in numerous political affairs throughout the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. He represented, among others, Verwoerd’s assassin Dimitri Tsafendas; the SWAPO Six in Swakopmund; the families of Imam Abdullah Haron, Mapetla Mohapi and Hoossen Haffajee and others who died “jumping down stairwells while in detention” or hanged by their own jeans in their cells; and Steven Biko and other activists who were arrested by the security police in the dead of night. There were also the highprofile criminal cases, including the original Kebble-style “assisted suicide” of Baron Dieter van Schauroth and the scandalous case of the Scissors Murderess Marlene Lehnberg.

Wilfrid Cooper reached the peak of his considerable legal prowess in a time when South Africans led a parallel existence, the majority downtrodden while white privilege reigned serenely in the suburbs – a time that could have easily provided him a less controversial career had he desired. And yet even as he and his gregarious wife Gertrude enjoyed wonderful and very sociable years in their Newlands home in Cape Town – an area that was itself remodelled under the Group Areas Act – he chose to walk the path less taken in the shadow of Devil’s Peak. This is his story.

Patriarg Tjaart van der Walt se verlede haal sy kleindogters in ná sy dood toe ’n gas onverwags by sy kleindogter, Lenore van der Walt, se bruilof opdaag. Die bewaringstatus van Bateleur Reservaat en Khulula Renosterskuiling word daardeur bedreig. Die gas wil met ’n mynbaas saamspan om ’n steenkoolmyn in die Laeveld te vestig.

Sikloon Dineo tref die reservaat langs die Mosambiek-grens en derduisende klimaatvlugtelinge word blootgestel aan mensehandel en ontvoerings. Die toenemende stel van slagysters vir bosslaghuisvleis lei ook tot ernstige vergrype teen diere.

Die drie Van der Walt-niggies – Lenore, Tarien en Bella – word meegesleur in die gety van ontheemding en dierevergrype. Ook op geestelike vlak is daar ’n vervreemding tussen die niggies en hul Skepper wanneer seer uit die verlede hul inhaal en hul binne-vrede moet vind om weer tuis by God te voel.

Romanse en nuwe vriendskappe te midde van natuurrampe en aanvalle deur insypelaars word ’n toevlug toe ’n bonkige huursoldaat en die Olifantbekoorder van die Laeveld tot die niggies se lewens toetree.

Sondag. Oukersaand. Ná ’n inbraak by die Stables Estate in Pretoria-Oos word sakeman Lafras van Zyl vir dood agtergelaat. Die res van die Van Zyl-gesin verdwyn spoorloos. Kaptein AJ Williams moet inspring om te help. Alex en Ranna is op die spoor van ’n meisie, wat in Johannesburg vermis geraak het. Twee misdade. Meer vrae as antwoorde.

In rural South Africa today, there are signs that chieftaincies are resurging after having been disbanded in colonial times. Among these is the amaTshatshu of the Eastern Cape, which was dis-established in 1852 by the British, and recognised once more under the democratic ANC dispensation, in 2003.

Bawana, leader of the amaTshatshu, was the first Thembu chief to cross the Kei River, in the mid-1820s, to open up the northeastern frontier of the Cape Colony. His successors and followers fought the British in the frontier wars but were defeated. In tracing his history and that of his descendants this book explores the meaning of chieftainship in South Africa—at the time of colonial conquest, under apartheid’s Bantustans, and now, post apartheid. It illustrates not only the story of a beleaguered and dispossessed people but also the ways in which power is constructed. In addition, it is about gender and land, about belonging, identity and naming. The book unsettles accounts of chiefly authority, unpacks conflicts between royal families, municipalities and government departments, and explores the impasse created by these quarrels. It retrieves evidence that the colonial state sought to obliterate and draws the disempowered back into the process of making history.

The authors are both closely associated with the land and the people of the amaTshatshu. One is a historian, who grew up on their land, and the other is counsellor to the chief. As such, they bring their knowledge and respective skills to bear in this book. The collaboration of a black and a white author sets up a creative tension which animates the text and is a powerful element of the book.

Featuring all-new spoor drawings, some 200 new photographs and an extra 35 species, this fully revised and updated edition of the ever-popular Tracker Manual is packed with the latest on the art of tracking.

Based on information developed by some of southern Africa’s best traditional trackers, Tracker Manual gives even more guidance on how to identify the spoor of some 190 animal species. Individual chapters cover carnivores, large mammals, antelopes, small mammals, primates, hares and rodents, amphibians and reptiles, birds and insects.

Each account contains:

• Simple, bulleted text on key points of each animal’s tracks
• Clear, accurate track drawings
• Numerous informative photographs, sometimes annotated
• A list of similar tracks (where applicable), to avoid misidentification

An instructive introduction describes the science of tracking and outlines what to look for in the field, while a quick-reference table compares tracks that are easily confused. This detailed and richly illustrated manual to the region’s most common animal tracks and signs will prove invaluable in the field.

Inkleurboeke vir volwassenes is steeds baie gewild en daar is eindelose opsies om van te kies en keur. Inligting oor selfdoentegnieke wanneer dit by inkleur kom, is egter nie so volop beskikbaar nie. In hierdie boek deel inkleurkunstenaar, Monique Day-Wilde, alles van die kies van papier, potlode en ander inkleurmateriale, tot die teorie van kleur en kleurvermenging. Sy deel ook basiese en meer gevorderde tegnieke vir spesiale effekte, en wat jy dan met jou inkleurprente kan doen. Leer oor skadutegnieke met enkele of 'n verskeidenheid kleure, afskerming, meng- en vryftegnieke, skep van tekstuur, interessante maniere om groot agtergronde te vul, byvoeging van blinkgoed, stempels met bosseleervloeistof en selfs die gebruik van potloodskaafsels. Daar skuil soveel meer agter inkleurwerk as om net tussen die lyne te hou. Terwyl daar werklik geen regte of verkeerde manier is om in te kleur nie, sal hierdie boek jou help om inkleurwerk te omskep in 'n ervaring wat sal lei tot 'n kunswerk waarop jy kan trots wees - net vir jouself, of om mee te spog by ander.

Born in Qqeberha in the 1990s, popular Aids activist Nozibele Mayaba’s upbringing was one of struggle and strife. She was raised by the tough hand of her mother in the confines of a strict Christian household. Nozibele strove to be the “good girl” that everyone adores to win her mother’s approval and the affection of her absent father.

She lived by the book and was steered by her faith. Hers becomes a life of firsts. She is the first person in her family to travel overseas. The first to graduate from university. It is also her first love, with his infectious smile that infected her with HIV.

This diagnosis throws her life into disarray. Fearing stigma and feeling the need to maintain her “good girl” image, she kept her status a secret. However, she soon succumbed to depression. It is in the aftermath, when she picks up the broken pieces of her life that she finds purpose in all the pain she has endured.

She went public with her story in a video that when viral and launched her onto a new path. Nozibele, who has since gotten married and recently became a mother, has made it her mission to hold open conversations about her journey living with HIV.

Told with gut wrenching honesty, Nozibele is at her most vulnerable in this brave account about what it means to live and love beyond HIV.

The Democratic Alliance won control of the uMngeni Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands after the local government elections in 2021. As the only DA-run municipality in KZN, uMngeni provides a template for how local government could work in a post-ANC South Africa.

Written by two leaders at the very heart of the project, Saving South Africa reveals the challenges, the triumphs and disasters the new administration has encountered along the way. It is an eye-opening exposé of how cadre deployment has helped to bring the country to its knees. It is a story of incompetent officials, political spies, gunwielding tenderpreneurs, petty theft and grand larceny.

And yet, as we follow the authors on their journey, there is always hope for a better future as the corrupt layers of local governance are gradually stripped away, revealing the responsive and caring civil service envisioned by the South African Constitution.

Be transported to the breathtaking African landscape with this gorgeous board book for children (aged 3 and up) featuring real-life, high-quality sounds of African bush animals, from the roaring lion, laughing hyenas and trumpeting elephants. Coupled with the sounds are unique and fascinating facts, stunning photographs that appeal to both young and old alike.

The Little Book of Safari Animal Sounds is the perfect gift for anyone who loves nature and provides a wonderful new way of recognising wild animals in their habitats.

Sounds featured in this sound book are:

• Lion,
• African bush elephant,
• black-backed jackal,
• grey go-away bird,
• plains zebra,
• chacma baboon,
• African fish eagle,
• spotted hyena,
• hippopotamus,
• bubbling kassina frog,
• pearl-spotted owlet
• and cheetah.

In April 2013 a global breaking-news story surfaced on social media and in the world press, and rapidly gathered momentum. A South African man had fallen overboard in the night during a storm in remote Indonesian waters, without anyone else on board realising. Eight hours later a frantic search was underway. The incident caught the world’s attention as readers were instantly transported into the terror of the moment – imagine being left alone, 100 kilometres out to sea in the middle of a storm, watching your friends sail into the distance… Had he been dealt a fraction more bad luck, Brett would have died immediately.

According to the experts, he should have died within 10 to 14 hours. But he chose not to die. Instead for 28-and-a-half hours Brett Archibald endured – the ocean, the elements, the creatures of the deep, and his own inner demons. Alone: The Search For Brett Archibald is the incredible but true story of what it takes to defy needle-in-a-haystack odds and survive what should have been certain death. Outdoor savvy, astonishing imagination, mental toughness, a refusal to give up hope and a canny rescuer with an unbelievable background ultimately saw him through.

Most of all this is a story of the power of the human spirit that defies rational explanation.

The End Of Whiteness aims to reveal the pathological, paranoid and bizarre consequences that the looming end of apartheid had on white culture in South Africa, and overall to show that whiteness is a deeply problematic category that needs to be deconstructed and thoughtfully considered.

This book uses contemporary media material to investigate two symptoms of this late apartheid cultural hysteria that appeared throughout the contemporary media and in popular literature during the 1980s and 1990s, showing their relation to white anxieties about social change, the potential loss of privilege and the destabilisation of the country that were imagined to be an inevitable consequence of majority rule.

The ‘Satanic panic’ revolved around the apparent threat posed by a cult of white Satanists that was never proven to exist but was nonetheless repeatedly accused of conspiracy, murder, rape, drug-dealing, cannibalism and bestiality, and blamed for the imminent destruction of white Christian civilisation in South Africa.

During the same period an unusually high number of domestic murder-suicides occurred, with parents killing themselves and their children or other family members by gunshot, fire, poison, gas, even crossbows and drownings. This so-called epidemic of family murder was treated by police, press and social scientists as a plague that specifically affected white Afrikaans families. These double monsters, both fantastic and real, helped to disembowel the clarities of whiteness even as they were born out of threats to it. Deep within its self-regarding modernity and renegotiation of identity, contemporary white South Africa still wears those scars of cultural pathology.

Advocate Thuli Madonsela has achieved in her seven years as Public Protector what few accomplish in a lifetime; her legacy and contribution cannot be over-stated. In her final days in office she compiled the explosive State Capture report and, before that, the report on President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla residence. Praised and vilified in equal measures, Madonsela has frequently found herself at centre stage in the increasingly fractious South African political scene.

No Longer Whispering To Power is about Thuli Madonsela’s tenure as Public Protector, during which the whisper grew into a cry. It is the story of the South African people’s attempt to hold power to account through the Office of the Public Protector. More significantly, this important book stands as a record of the crucial work Madonsela has done, always acting without fear or favour.

A comprehensive guide to more than 150 delicious, nutrient-rich foods which, when eaten as part of a balanced diet, boost our immune system, improve our health and reduce the risk of disease.

From asparagus to zucchini, maca root to shiitake mushrooms, chickpeas to pomegranates, buckwheat to brazil nuts, the book covers fruits and vegetables, seeds and grains, herbs and spices, nuts, seaweeds, mushrooms and more. A wealth of detailed information is provided on why these foods are good for us, as well as how to maximise their benefits and incorporate them easily into our daily meals.

Written in Jane's practical and entertaining style, and full of fascinating titbits about the history and origins of what we eat, the book also covers health aspects such as food sensitivities and the importance of gut bacteria, kitchen and pantry basics, plus useful tips on smoothies, sprouting, juicing, dehydrating, fermenting and healthy cooking. And for those keen to grow their own superfoods, there is also gardening advice.

In 1990 two South African mothers were faced with an impossible choice, one that no mother should ever have to make. Should they surrender the child they had lovingly raised in order to get back the baby they had given birth to?

Megs Clinton-Parker and Sandy Dawkins chose nurture over nature, simply unable to give up their two-year-old sons who were switched at birth at an East Rand hospital. Instead they decided to try to make their strange relationship work, although they lived in different cities, 500km apart. And they decided to sue the South African state, whose negligence had altered the fates of two families forever. Robin Dawkins and Gavin Clinton-Parker grew up living each other’s lives, brothers-but-not-brothers, acutely aware that their mothers’ hearts were torn.

Unable to escape the consequences of the swap, Robin decided at the age of 15 that it was time to claim what was rightfully his, adding a further twist to this bitter saga.

As a teenager in today’s crazy online world, you may think you’ve got it all sussed out. But even YOU don’t know about all the legal pitfalls, hidden dangers and future implications of what you do, see and post online.

Selfies, Sexts And Smartphones is the book every teenager (and their parents) should read. It covers all of the major issues teenagers face in the digital age, including cyberbullying, sexting, addiction, internet safety, porn, anxiety, depression, privacy and reputation, and does so within a South African context. Accessible, informative and even fun, this book will help guide you to a happy, rewarding and, most importantly, safe online life.

Dis 'n roman oor die aftakeling wat vrou- en ma-wees op gees en lyf kerf.

Daar is 'n ongewone, ontgogelde blik op swangerskap, ontdaan van blosende skoonheid, vreedsame afwagting en innige vervulling; eerder gekenmerk deur vrees, angstigheid en ongemak. Die bloedige slagveld van geboorte word ontstellend verwoord en daarna die allesoorheersende liefde vir die babas. Maar ook die onmoontlike gyselaarsituasie van 'n ongelukkige huwelik: “Om 'n ma te wees is onmenslik moeilik as jou gees gevlug het uit jou lyf.”

Dis ook die verhaal van die mooi vriendskap tussen 'n ma en stiefma. Kylie en Katrin word mekaar se weemoed.

Tthe debut title of new South African publisher, Mirari Press.

In an alternate history where the Church rules Europe through the Holy Roman Empire, a young woman. is hunted for witchcraft as she seeks the purpose of her family's dark powers. When second-year Dresden University student Nell Blythe is accused of witchcraft, not even the Holy Office knows just how guilty she is.

She may not believe in spells, but she does nave rightening abilities she keeps hidden and can't explain. The same abilities that made her mother infamous, then got her killed. Forced to flee, Nell meets a powerful stranger with abilities like hers. He can answer questions about her mother and their dark gifts that she has spent her whole life asking. But she is not nearly prepared for what he will show her. No one is.

As the Holy Office closes in on her, how far will Nell go to uncover the secrets her mother died for? Secrets that could cut to the heart of the Church itself.

Skipper Mias Mulder keer uit Walvisbaai terug na Ei-Land aan die Weskus toe hy hoor dat ’n ander man by sy verloofde kuier. Hy leen ’n motorfiets en pak die lang rit na sy tuisdorp toe aan. Op pad kom hy ’n vrou, Carminda, teë wat gestrand is en ’n geleentheid soek. Sy ry agterop die motorfiets saam en klou styf aan hom vas. Eers geleidelik word haar hartseer herkoms bekend.

Hulle noem haar Carminda is ’n verhaal van liefde wat byna alles bedek, hoewel spoke uit die verlede bly pla.

“Op die kombuisvloer sit-lê my man met sy rug na my toe. Sy ledemate hang slap, soos ’n marionet wat pas sy toutjies verloor het. Op die toonbank lê sy haelgeweer. Ek weet dadelik hy is dood.”

Die geskenk is die bekende skrywer Riette Rust se ontroerende ware verhaal, onthutsend eerlik, vol menslikheid en soms selfs skreeusnaaks. Van haar kinderjare in die Paarl, waar haar pa whiskey-bottels in die gangkas wegsteek, haar huwelik met JD, die onbeplande swangerskap en gelukkige gesinsjare, tot dié oggend, toe Riette se hele wêreld aan skerwe spat.

Te midde van die diepste verskrikking gaan soek Riette na kennis. Sy studeer sielkunde en lees wyd oor trauma en rou, en met dié boek deel sy wat sy uitvind. Hierdie is nie net die memoir van ʼn merkwaardige vrou aan wie die lewe groot uitdagings gestel het nie. Dit sal ook van groot nut wees vir elkeen wat deur trauma geraak word, met die nuutste wetenskaplike inligting oor selfdood en die nadraai daarvan, van die waarskuwingstekens tot die skaamte en skuldgevoelens, en ʼn hoofstuk oor die verskillende soorte rou.

Riette, nou skielik “ʼn weduwee”, is blootgestel aan skindertonge, geniepsige pastore, en ʼn huis wat herstel moet word. Met Die geskenk bied sy ons die deurleefde wysheid van iemand wat self daar was. Iemand wat weet dit is moontlik om weer voluit te leef, selfs al het die ondenkbare gebeur.

Hierdie dapper, inspirerende boek sal jou uitkyk op die lewe vir altyd verander.

Bush Brothers is not about special forces or heroic, secret missions. Instead, it is an intimate look at the daily life of ordinary soldiers – and the unbreakable bonds they formed under fire.

This is the story of thousands of infantry men who were deployed in the SADF, on or across the Border.

Colourful characters and wild partying are interspersed with the life-and-death choices troops were forced to make as they sacrificed life and limb, not so much for their country, but for each other.

Hoe Sara Koordom op Rooiduin in die verre Noord-Kaap aangeland het, is ’n raaisel. Sy het gekom soos die woestynwind – een dag was sy daar, en niemand weet van waar nie. En hoekom sy op Rooiduin bly, is selfs ’n groter raaisel.

Dis nie lank nie of die hele dorp merk op watter raakvatter Sara is. Tot meneer Thüneman van die Algemene Handelaar het gevra of sy twee keer ’n week die pos kan kom uitsorteer. En vir klein Kuikentjie Boskat is sy soos ’n eie ma.

Sara voel veral tuis by ouma Spriet en oom Alles, wat met die helm gebore is. En by ant Korreltjie, wat haar geleidelik leer van patrone uitlê en rokkies maak.

Maar die bedreiging wat Piet Boskat inhou, roep die spoke van Sara se verlede op. Kan sy vir haar ’n weg ooptrap om vry te kom van die gevare van die hede én van die verlede? En terselfdertyd die mense beskerm vir wie sy so lief geword het?

’n Aangrypende, meelewende roman deur die skrywer van die hoog aangeskrewe debuut Die kinders van Spookwerwe.

I heard there’s a girl in school growing wings. No, she’s not graduating or anything. She’s legit growing wings, just like this other oke in school.

He’s doesn’t have wings though. He’s growing a tail and he keeps skipping class. They probably think no one sees them but we’re watching them. They keep getting closer and closer to each other so we all have to watch them. The sky and the sea. The rivers and the forest.

Faeries and mermaids. It’s hectic, I know. A thousand eyes watching you but I guess that’s what happens to us as we grow up. We either grow a tail or wings and the world watches the ugly process unfold.

This beautiful and poignant novel by the exciting voice of Mia Arderne will be sure to make young adult readers excited about holding a book in their hands!

Twee inspirerende topverkoper-romans in een omnibus

Ter wille van Talita: Die Van den Heevers hou hulle eenkant, maar beland onder die soeklig wanneer Theuns van den Heever nie wil hê sy dogters moet aan ’n Kersspel deelneem nie.

Haar ma se kind​: Dania Pietersen is Dora en Jonnie se susterskind wat by hulle bly. Sy is ’n modelkind en volgende jaar is Dania sestien en Dora en Jonnie kan dit nie meer ontken nie: Dania hoort nie by hulle nie – sy is haar ma se kind.

Thoroughly revised and updated, this long-awaited new edition of Field Guide to the Spiders of South Africa remains the most comprehensive guide to South African spiders published to date.

It features over 780 of the more common spider species encountered in the field and in homes and gardens, as well as representative species from some of the rarer spider families.

• ‘Quick Keys’ to the 72 South African spider families provide a useful starting point to identification.
• Succinct genus and species accounts cover identifying characteristics, breeding, behaviour, distribution and conservation status.
• Colour photographs and/or illustrations as well as distribution maps support each entry.
• Introductory chapter discusses spider morphology, spider life cycle, the functions of silk, as well as spider collection techniques.
• Section on venom identifies species that pose a danger to humans, unpacks neurotoxic and cytotoxic venom, and details the symptoms and treatment of spider bites.