Riet de Jong-Goossens Knihy

Een Nederlander reist in 1870 naar Bloemfontein in Zuid-Afrika in de hoop daar te genezen van zijn tbc.

Het leven van twee vrienden wordt getekend door de laatste maanden van de Tweede Boerenoorlog (1899-1902) in Zuid-Afrika.

A hundred years ago, a small settlement sprang up in theNorthern Cape. A rich diversity of people moved in, as the children were born, Vatmaar became a village. A. H. M. Scholtz tells of Oom Chai, who in turn tells of a Vuurmaak, who in turn introduces someone else. Thus a chain of stories is created interlinking the fates of unforgettable characters like Lance-Corporal George Lewis and his Tswana wife, Rush, Sis Bet, Old Chetty, Hendruk, January, Tant Vonnie and her daughters as they recount tales of the Anglo-Boer War, the diamond diggings, court cases and stokvels: the tricksters and the tricked, marriages and funerals, love and betrayal. A Place Called Vatmaar is a panoramic novel: compelling, wise and humane.

The book captivates with its blend of brilliance and haunting themes, drawing readers into a profound exploration of complex emotions and experiences. Through its evocative narrative, it promises to leave a lasting impact, encouraging deep reflection on the human condition. Toni Morrison's endorsement highlights its powerful storytelling and emotional depth, suggesting a journey that is both enchanting and thought-provoking.

This is the story of the four inhabitants of 127 Martha Street in the poor white suburb of Triomf. Living on the ruins of old Sophiatown, the freehold township razed to the ground as a so-called 'black spot', they await with trepidation their country's first democratic elections. It is a date that coincides fatefully with the fortieth birthday of Lambert, the oversexed misfit son of the house. There is also Treppie, master of misrule and family metaphysician; Pop, the angel of peace teetering on the brink of the grave; and Mol, the materfamilias in her eternal housecoat. Pestered on a daily basis by nosy neighbours, National Party canvassers and Jehovah's Witnesses, defenceless against the big city towering over them like a vengeful dinosaur, they often resort to quoting to each other the only consolation that they know; we still have each other and a roof over our heads. TRIOMF relentlessly probes Afrikaner history and politics, revealing the bizarre and tragic effect that apartheid had on exactly the white underclass who were most supposed to benefit. It is also a seriously funny investigation of the human endeavour to make sense of life even under the most abject of circumstances.

Verhalen, spelend in Zuid-Afrika.