Cape Town. 1942…
The Second World War is taking on ever larger proportions and even touching the lives of those living at the southernmost point of Africa.
But lives are threatened in other ways – not only by the direct effects of the War. People have to start making choices – and some choices are forced upon them as tension increases.
Paddy MacPherson is a British seaman whose brief stint in Cape Town – while on the way to active service – is complicated by his attraction to Sandra Brown.
Sandra is one of the more privileged members of the Cape Town community, as her father is the English-speaking Port Captain. She also comes into contact with Louw, an Afrikaner. Louw’s brother has left to fight in the war, causing Louw to experience conflict about contributing to the war. Louw’s father is the railways foreman, an upright citizen and staunch Afrikaner.
Add to this unusual mix a young man called Werner Esterhuizen – an Afrikaner fanatic.
Sandra’s social conscience prods her into action and she soon becomes entangled with not only Paddy, but also Louw and Werner.
Strikes at the harbour complicate their lives and when Anti-War Afrikaners become politically active, their situation becomes even more complex. Louw and his father – as well as the Brown family – are drawn into destructive actions and even sabotage. As pressures mount, they soon find their lives become a maze with no way out.
There is no simple solution – in fact, wrong choices could prove fatal …..
This novel traces the life of an innocent young girl as she is drawn into the shadow of war and is catapulted into maturity.
Tersia Havenga 