The story centers around Kristin Uys, a tough Roodepoort magistrate who is on a personal crusade to wipe out prostitution in the town. The plot involves her interactions with the protagonist, Don Mateza, who is being pressured by his girlfriend to become a "black diamond" (a term referring to South Africa's new middle class). The narrative explores contemporary South African society, featuring believable characters and a pacy plot.
is a satirical debut novel by James Blinn, first published in 1997. It is a postmodern black comedy that explores the unreality of modern technological warfare through the lens of the Persian Gulf War.Â
The novel begins in Cape Town, where Douglas leads a typical seaside life until a freak accident claims the life of his twin brother, Marsden. The tragedy shatters his family; his father leaves, and his mother takes Douglas to live in the isolated, semi-desert town of Klipdorp in the Karoo region.
The book is written as a series of conversations between a fictional young prince and an emeritus professor of constitutional law. It explores the relevance of the British constitutional monarchy, contrasting the English concept of kingship (where the monarch is under the law) with historical absolutist continental models.
In October 1966, nineteen-year-old William Lavery is at his first black-tie event when news breaks of the Aberfan disaster, where a coal mine landslide has buried a school. William, a newly qualified embalmer, volunteers to assist in the recovery efforts, a job that forces him to confront his own past losses and the little boy he once was. The book explores how compassion and giving to others can sometimes help in personal healing.
