In the Namibian harbour town of Lüdertiz, a liminal space where desert meets ocean, a terrible history is made intimate and personal when filmmaker Henry van Wyk must confront a childhood tragedy that has moulded his life.

Having returned to his birthplace in an attempt to get his career back on track, Henry struggles to complete a documentary he is working on. He whiles away his mornings swimming in a nearby tidal pool on Shark Island, and finds himself increasingly drawn to the small town and its romantic possibilities. But the tranquil land hides a bloody history: Shark Island was once the site of a concentration camp, and a law firm is suing the German government for their role in the genocide of Namibia’s indigenous people.

When Henry begins to interview the survivors’ descendants, their testimonies compel him to search the desert for a mass grave.

At the Edge of the Desert is a meditation on loss, isolation and love, which asks us to consider the implications of telling someone else’s story.

Inspired by true events, a thrilling Depression-era novel from the author of The Librarian of Burned Books about a woman’s quest to uncover a mystery surrounding a local librarian and the Boxcar Library—a converted mining train that brought books to isolated rural towns in Montana.

When Works Progress Administration (WPA) editor Millie Lang finds herself on the wrong end of a potential political scandal, she’s shipped off to Montana to work on the state’s American Guide Series—travel books intended to put the nation’s destitute writers to work.

Millie arrives to an eclectic staff claiming their missed deadlines are due to sabotage, possibly from the state’s powerful Copper Kings who don’t want their long and bloody history with union organizers aired for the rest of the country to read. But Millie begins to suspect that the answer might instead lie with the town’s mysterious librarian, Alice Monroe.

More than a decade earlier, Alice Monroe created the Boxcar Library in order to deliver books to isolated mining towns where men longed for entertainment and connection. Alice thought she found the perfect librarian to staff the train car in Colette Durand, a miner’s daughter with a shotgun and too many secrets behind her eyes.

Now, no one in Missoula will tell Millie why both Alice and Colette went out on the inaugural journey of the Boxcar Library, but only Alice returned.

The three women’s stories dramatically converge in the search to uncover what someone is so desperately trying to hide: what happened to Colette Durand.

Inspired by the fascinating, true history of Missoula’s Boxcar Library, the novel blends the story of the strong, courageous women who survived and thrived in the rough and rowdy West with that of the power of standing together to fight for workers’ lives. And through it all shines the capacity of books to provide connection and light to those who need it most.

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.

’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.

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.

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.

Florence, the 1560s. Lucrezia, third daughter of Cosimo de' Medici, is free to wander the palazzo at will, wondering at its treasures and observing its clandestine workings. But when her older sister dies on the eve of marriage to Alfonso d'Este, ruler of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio, Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: the duke is quick to request her hand in marriage, and her father to accept on her behalf.

Having barely left girlhood, Lucrezia must now make her way in a troubled court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed. Perhaps most mystifying of all is her husband himself, Alfonso. Is he the playful sophisticate her appears before their wedding, the aesthete happiest in the company of artists and musicians, or the ruthless politician before whom even his formidable sisters seem to tremble?

As Lucrezia sits in uncomfortable finery for the painting which is to preserve her image for centuries to come, one thing becomes worryingly clear. In the court's eyes, she has one duty: to provide the heir who will shore up the future of the Ferrarese dynasty. Until then, for all of her rank and nobility, her future hangs entirely in the balance.

In 1900 reis die Britse dokter Oliver Glenville na Deelfontein in die Karoo om by ’n Britse veldhospitaal vir offisiere aan te sluit. Daar beland beseerde Britse soldate én Boerekrygers op sy operasietafel.

Klara Grootboom, ’n skoonmaker, rig ’n versoek aan hom wat teen sy beginsels indruis, maar dis asof sy hom in ’n vangnet van haar eie het.

Meer as ’n honderd jaar later skep ’n opkomende Kaapse kunstenaar ’n uitstalling uit Deelfontein se gegewens en ontdek ’n onverwagse familieband . . .

Three couples, one night. And the life that follows...

Eva looked out the attic window of their charming guest house and watched the sun rise. She thought she might be sick. Splayed on the lawn below was Frank, apparently out cold. Her husband snored in the bed behind her. She loved Shay, of course she did, but right now the only person she wanted to think about was Conor. She didn't want to think about Bea or Lizzie or what Lizzie might have got up to with Shay.

Frank's 48th birthday had given the three couples an excuse for a much needed night away from children, nagging bills and ailing parents. The drink flowed, life in Dublin with all its stress felt a long way away. When Frank proposed they swap partners, it felt deliciously, irresistibly reckless. One night. No obligations. No expectations. All the women had to do was text a man of their choice.

The only rule? No falling in love.

It was a night that some of them couldn't remember. And others couldn't forget.

Twee gewilde Weskus-romans in een.

Haar naam is Ragel:
Die verhaal van ’n jong ma wat haar seuntjie se dood moet leer verwerk. Sy ontmoet ’n ma wat net soos sy nie kan ophou treur nie. Saam leer die twee vroue geleidelik wat die sin van lyding is en hoe God in Jesus kan troos.

Marta:
Terwyl die 17-jarige Marta se pa in haar arms sterf, vra hy haar om na haar ma om te sien. Haar geloof verval in roetinewerk, en sy neem haar kort-kort voor om haar lewe beter in te rig, maar dit gebeur nie.

All I saw was Humanity is a compilation of short stories that depicts everyday human realities and details the experiences of various characters.

It speaks to their challenges and struggles, thoughts, feelings and aspirations, failures and internal conflict. It paints different pictures from children grappling with the divorce of their parents, young adults attempting to navigate adulthood amid trauma, to the complexities of dealing with loss and disappointment.

The stories are enlightening about battles often fought in private and how human perspectives over the same matter can often be different. The stories aim to incite an understanding of the vast and various backgrounds people come from and encourage compassion in everyday life as we are often unaware of what that background is.

An important rumination on youth in modern-day South Africa, this haunting debut novel tells the story of two extraordinary young women who have grown up black in white suburbs and must now struggle to find their identities.

The rich and pampered Ofilwe has taken her privileged lifestyle for granted, and must confront her swiftly dwindling sense of culture when her soulless world falls apart. Meanwhile, the hip and sassy Fiks is an ambitious go-getter desperate to leave her vicious past behind for the glossy sophistication of city life, but finds Johannesburg to be more complicated and unforgiving than she expected.

These two stories artfully come together to illustrate the weight of history upon a new generation in South Africa.

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.

Black women are labelled as strong; their tears often seen as indulgent, their suffering expected to have an imminent expiration date.

In Michelle Kekana’s ambitious debut, three modern South African women find themselves brought to breaking point as they navigate the complexities of life, love and mental health.

Utterly engrossing from the first page, The Fragile Mental Health of Strong Women is a bold exploration of what it means to be ‘strong’.

She’s a high-fashion realtor; he’s a low-maintenance mechanic. What on earth could they have in common?

Dressed in designer labels and cruising around town in her red Mercedes, workaholic realtor Harper Wilson presents the picture of success in charming Maple Falls. But Harper’s carefully cultivated image is resting on a shaky foundation. With a sudden drought in sales, she’s starting to see her professional dreams—along with her posh lifestyle—slipping away.

Car trouble brings her to mechanic Rusty Jenkins, and their unlikely friendship is taken to the next level when the laid-back Rusty allows her to give him a makeover for a charity bachelor auction. Harper soon discovers that beneath the town mechanic’s wild beard and grease-stained clothing lies a true Southern gentleman—someone with a kind heart and dreams of his own. Their chemistry is undeniable, but as they get closer, past fears and relationships start to creep in, reminding them of just how much is at stake when carefully constructed facades fall apart.

Maybe their worlds aren’t so separate after all. And maybe covering up who you really are keeps you from discovering what was always meant to be.

A moving, compelling and uplifting story of following your dreams against the odds from the world’s favourite storyteller, Danielle Steel.

Iris Cooper grew up dirt poor in Texas. Her mother left when she was a baby, leaving her to be raised by her rodeo cowboy dad, who was too interested in beer, whisky and women to be a good father to her or to provide what she needed. On top of her innocent beauty, Iris had a rare gift: she had the voice of an angel. After singing in downtrodden bars across the state from the age of twelve, and then many years on the road with different bands suffering at the hands of greedy managers with no scruples, she finally gets a lucky break when she meets Boy, another talented singer, in Jackson Hole. Together they make their way to New York where Iris’s talent is recognized and nurtured by one of the top agents in the business.

A star is born and Iris finally gets the success she deserves. But then tragedy strikes, and through it Iris discovers another kind of love.

Waar lê die lyn tussen inwoner en inkommer?

“Ek, Plakker Prinsloo, weet nie of ek nou al gereed is om vir die eerste keer saam met Bennie Afrikaner uit te ry Kom toe nie. Ek was nog nooit ’n reisiger nie, dit is nou as jy nie my en Ma se ewige getrek voor Pa se misdaadrekord uit reis kan noem nie.”

Inkommers is ’n eietydse verhaal, ’n kroniek van die Afrikaners – die familie, nie die volk nie – wat al van die Groot Trek se dae af wydsbeen oor die vuil Vaal in die Vredefortkoepel boer. Is dit moontlik dat net gebore Kommers in die Kom hoort? Hoe gemaak met inkommers wat tot dusver nie juis welkom was nie? ’n Mens moet versigtig wees vir vreemdelinge. Die Afrikaners is hoeka aan die min word en hulle wil hulle omgewing tot ’n erfenisgebied verklaar kry. Dan is die liefde ook nog aan die uitsterf.

Iemand moet daarop reageer, rebelleer selfs, maar rebelleer die ware rebel vir iets of teen iets?

Verbly julle in die hoop is die tweede boek in die drieluik met die temas geloof, hoop en liefde wat verbeeld word deur die lewensverhaal van Andreas Beyers. Ons eerste ontmoeting met ’n jong Andreas is in Geloof soos ’n mosterdsaadjie, en hier vind ons hom waar hy terug delf in die verlede.

Dit is Vrydag 20 Maart 2020: Die huis waar Andreas die afgelope vyf jaar gewoon het, is opgepak. Die volgende dag vertrek hy saam met sy kinders na ’n aftreeoord in die Strand waar hy die laaste jare van sy lewe sal slyt. Hoewel Covid-19 inperkings aan die orde van die dag is, weet die meeste SuidAfrikaners, asook Andreas en die ander mense op die plattelandse dorpie glad nie wat op hulle wag nie.

Verbly julle in die hoop sal harte aanraak en twyfelaars nuwe moed gee. Jesus se volgelinge hoop nie omdat hulle wens dat dit eendag beter met hulle sal gaan nie; hulle leef in blydskap omdat hul wense reeds vervul is. Dit moes Andreas Beyers eers leer voordat hy blywende geluk kon vind.

Wanneer die bejaarde maar onstuitbare Hans besluit om te trou, laat sy aanstaande bruid se ryk familie die troureëlings aan ’n befaamde troubeplanner, Alexander Fokkens, oor. Maar Hans wil keer dat die troue in ’n spektakel ontaard. En gou besef Fokkens dat Hans van Kraaienburg hom nie laat hiet en gebied nie. Toe vriend Vasie boonop ondeurdagte planne beraam om geld te maak uit die onthaal, voel Hans aan sy broek se pype dat die bruilof op ’n ramp afstuur.

The captivating new novel from the internationally-bestselling author of The Dictionary of Lost Words.

'Your job is to bind the books, not read them.'

When the men of Oxford University Press leave for the Western Front, Peggy, her twin sister Maude and their friends in the bookbindery must shoulder the burden at home. As Peggy moves between her narrowboat full of memories and the demands of the Press, her dreams of studying feel ever more remote. She must know her place, fold her pages and never stop to savour the precious words in front of her.

From volunteer nurses to refugees fleeing the horrors of occupation, the war brings women together from all walks of life, and with them some difficult choices for Peggy. New friends and lovers offer new opportunities, but they also make new demands - and Peggy must write her own story.

From internationally bestselling author John Boyne, a challenging and visceral narrative that asks the question: can one cataclysmic moment turn someone into a monster?

On the face of it, Freya lives a gilded existence, dancing solely to her own tune. She has all the trappings of wealth and privilege, a responsible job as a surgeon specialising in skin grafts, a beautiful flat in a sought-after development, and a flash car. But it wasn’t always like this. Hers is a life founded on darkness.

Did what happened to Freya as a child one fateful summer influence the adult she would become – or was she always destined to be that person? Was she born with cruelty in her heart or did something force it into being?

In Fire, John Boyne takes the reader on a chilling, uncomfortable but utterly compelling psychological journey to the epicentre of the human condition, asking the age-old question: nurture – or nature?

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders. But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it's too late?

Die storie van Sagie, seun van die Klein-Karoo, wat oor soveel jare heen in soveel harte gekruip het, word eindelik hier in een band klaar vertel. Van begin tot einde.

Is Sagie het die eerste keer in 1987 verskyn, Is weer Sagie in 2013, en nou, tien jaar later, verskyn die slot in dié besonderse trilogie: Sagie is.

For the first time in twenty-five years, a group of friends gathers to celebrate Adriaan’s seventieth birthday.

One by one, the guests arrive at Adriaan and Yvette’s beach house on the West Coast. Some bring their children and the exuberant laughter of their grandchildren with them. In the years since they last saw each other, some have had to say goodbye to life partners and dreams; others have found new love and meaning. And then there’s Yvette, who can’t yet bring herself to tell everyone about her journey.

Still Breathing is a highly readable novel about friendships that have endured through the years. Marita van der Vyver writes with her characteristic wit and flair about people who have been displaced, the complex relationship between parent and child, and the toll that time takes on being human.

’n Groep vriende kom die eerste keer in vyf-en-twintig jaar bymekaar om Adriaan se sewentigste verjaarsdag te vier.

Een vir een maak die gaste hul opwagting by Adriaan en Yvette se strandhuis in die Weskus. Sommige bring hul kinders en die uitbundige gelag van kleinkinders saam. Sedert hulle mekaar laas gesien het, moes party lewensmaats en drome vaarwel groet; ander het nuwe liefde en betekenis gevind. En dan is daar Yvette wat haarself nie sover kan kry om vir almal van háár reis te vertel nie.

Laaste kans is ’n hoogs leesbare roman oor vriendskap wat die tyd deurstaan het. Marita van der Vyver skryf met haar kenmerkende insig en humor oor ontheemde mense, die komplekse verhouding tussen ouer en kind, en die eise wat die tyd aan menswees stel.