Barbara Mutch's stunning first novel tells a story of love and duty colliding on the arid plains of Apartheid-era South Africa
When Cathleen Harrington leaves her home in Ireland in 1919 to travel to South Africa, she knows that she does not love the man she is to marry there her fiance Edward, whom she has not seen for five years. Isolated and estranged in a small town in the harsh Karoo desert, her only real companions are her diary and her housemaid, and later the housemaid's daughter, Ada. When Ada is born, Cathleen recognizes in her someone she can love and respond to in a way that...
Barbara Mutch's stunning first novel tells a story of love and duty colliding on the arid plains of Apartheid-era South Africa
1937. Simon's Town is a vibrant and diverse community in a picturesque part of the Union of South Africa. At the heart of the town is the Royal Navy port, and Louise Ahrendts, daughter of a shipbuilder, nurtures the idea that through hard work she could step beyond a destiny of domestic service. She dreams of becoming a nurse and she has the tenacity to make this dream a reality. When the Second World War breaks out and the port becomes a hub of activity, Louise's path crosses with that of Lieutenant David Horrocks. Despite the gulf in their backgrounds and the expectations facing them from...
1937. Simon's Town is a vibrant and diverse community in a picturesque part of the Union of South Africa. At the heart of the town is the Royal Navy p...