The Zulu people have colourful names for their children, which often come to resemble the nature of the child, and so it was with fifteen-year-old Thulani. His name meant Be Still in Zulu and his parents often wished he were, for Thulani was a lively boy who loved telling wild tales, which bestowed on him the nickname Amnyama Idla. This meant Cloud Eater in the Zulu tongue, and it perfectly described the boys dreamy nature, his stories were gossamer and ethereal as the clouds themselves. In Zulu culture there are strict traditional rules on upbringing, children are taught to keep silent...

White Bird Under the Sun is the charming story of an idyllic African boyhood, the author takes you on a journey through Africa that will warm your heart, as you share with him the joy and travails of childhood. Although based on the authors own upbringing, the book is not pitched as an autobiography but rather a passage, where the author shares with you the wonder of Africa as seen through the eyes of a young boy. The story starts right in the womb, recounts the early years in Johannesburg, then the family travel to cowboy country Northern Rhodesia. There is gritty realism in the story, as...

Parables and Poems is an anthology of short works, some of which are featured in other books by Pat Stevens, but are included here to reinforce various points of view. The piece's range from brief humorous essays, to longer satirical articles, which cover the spectrum of problems confronting Southern Africa of today. The author has attempted to sequence the articles, so the content of each compliments the previous, in order to create an interlinking theme. Included are eight of the authors poems, and a list of favorite books local and international, that have strongly influenced his writing....

Dice of Life is a coming of age novel set in South Africa of the seventies, written from the perspective of a boy leaving childhood, the story revolves around a group of apprentices and deals with the complexity of a racist society. Although not overly political in style, the book examines apartheid South Africa through the eyes of protagonist Harry Cheals, counterpointing his concerns against the easy attitude of his friends. They are the privileged white elite who enjoy life to its fullest, but Harry senses the dice of life will roll a payback someday, so he tries to warn his carefree...

Democratic Dawn is the last of a four book anthology, counterpointing the lives of four main characters against a transforming South Africa, moving toward 1994 democratic elections. The first book is titled The Greatest Game, it introduces you to a zany schoolboy named Rupertheimer, and his friends called the Pack. There is the Englishman Nick Jarvis and Peter Khumalo the Zulu, along with an engimatic Afrikaner named Hofmeyr. The first book describes their sixties schooldays where Rupertheimer scores a rugby penalty with a piano, then comes military service where Rupertheimer manages to sink...