Book picks similar to
No Man's Land by Carel van der Merwe


south-africa
fiction
great-african-reads
paperbacks

The Keeper


Marguerite Poland - 2014
    Seriously injured, Hannes is evacuated to hospital and nursed back to health by Sister Rika, to whom he haltingly tells the story of his life: of his mother’s mysterious death, of his wild young wife, Aletta, and of the desolate island inhabited only by the lighthouse keepers and guano workers – two communities confined together, yet rigidly separated in one of the bleakest places on earth. With the arrival of a figure from Aletta’s past, her own secrets erupt into the present, just as the simmering tensions and injustices endured for so long by the guano workers erupt into a single, shocking act of violence.Written in the exquisite, haunting prose for which Marguerite Poland is renowned, The Keeper is the story of two generations of lighthouse keepers – men obsessed by their duty to the light – and the wives who accompany them into a life of frightening isolation.The Keeper is a novel about the power of secrets, the power of love, and the power of stories.

My Father, My Monster: A True Story


McIntosh Polela - 2011
    But behind a dazzling career, Polela’s troubled past haunts him. When he was a child, both his parents disappeared, leaving him and his sister Zinhle to suffer years of abuse. The story of Polela’s journey to uncover the truth, this candid autobiography shares the journalist’s turmoil as he confronts his father about his mother’s brutal death and faces the worst dilemma a son can ever confront: How can he possibly forgive when his father remains a remorseless, cruel, and heartless murderer?

Americanah: by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Top 50 Facts Coutndown: Reach the #1 Fact


Top 50 Facts - 2015
     • Rules are simple: no peeking, no skipping. • Do you agree? • Don't miss out! About Us Top 50 Facts is an unofficial collection of facts for fans and readers alike, looking to conveniently discover more about the books they love.

Revenge of the chandalas (The chronicles of kosala)


Sandeep Nayyar - 2019
    

Hold That Breath


Abhirup Dhar - 2019
    Bored homemaker, Saachi curious about the supernatural plays the elevator game to reach the other world. Wandering photographer, Barry Bandeira puts up at a fort hotel one night and unearths an ancient curse. Abhay Kumar, a horror fiction writer, looking forward to a wedding anniversary celebration with his lovely wife, confronts his nemesis. Jeevika tells a true ghost story while on a road trip in Delhi-Jaipur expressway with her rich spoilt boyfriend, Ojas. Raman Chabra, a film producer meets a talented struggler, Dhruv in a dilapidated cinema hall to hear his horror script. One of these stories connects the others. Fear will be unleashed from the master storyteller of 'Stories Are Magical' and 'Once Again… With Love!' Have a fun, simple, relaxing and a little spooky read! Enjoy.

Cold Stone Jug


Herman Charles Bosman - 1949
    Its rise to classic status has been unstoppable, and it is now widely considered the founding text of all South African prison writings. As readable as ever, it is now hailed as Bosman's masterpiece of irony as well, vivid and unforgettable.

Shadow Child


Libby Purves - 2009
    Her first return to novel writing has resulted in an unrestrained picture of grief that feels at times, uncomfortably intimate ... this is not a book for the fragile (Melissa Katsoulis, Times Sat. 25 April 2009).

Pale Native: Memories of a Renegade Reporter


Max Du Preez - 2003
    Sometimes wacky, sometimes profound, the title is always entertaining, with the odd bit of sleaze.

Till We Meet Again


Shibaji Bose - 2019
    His tryst with destiny begins when his father becomes the victim of political violence. He is suddenly the man of the house. In trying to bring together his breaking family, and win back their family home, he experiences life through encounters with some incredible women. Rhea helps inculcate a sense of purpose in his life. Kavya is vivacious, Flirty and sensuous, who makes him bolder. Priya teaches him lessons none else could have, and Ahana is an innocent poet at heart, who makes him shed the garb of the hermit. Till we meet again is a story of a sleepy neighbourhood, which transforms into a modern-day ghetto of gated communities, riding the real estate juggernaut. A story of resilience and determination, it’s a heady cocktail of familial bonds, hope, deceit, vengeance and love.

The Demons of Jaitraya


Shubira Prasad - 2020
    They hid in the bowels of the Earth, in the water and in space and remained dormant for eons. In the 20th century of the Christian era, however, some of them reappeared in different forms to plague the Earth with Wars and illnesses. At the end of his war with Ravana, Rama had asked Hanuman to raise and train a contingent of warriors who would take birth multiple times on Earth, to contain the demons. Aishani and adheesh are two such warriors, blessed with divine weapons and powers to fight the world’s evils at present times. Read this exciting story to know who finally wins. The good or the evil? The demons of jaitraya is the first book of the trilogy of the war between demons and humans.

Wilbur Smith's Smashing Thrillers: Elephant Song / Hungry as the Sea / Wild Justice (Three Books in One Collection)


Wilbur Smith - 2013
    Meanwhile in London, anthropologist Kelly Kinnear is forced into violent confrontation with the shareholders of the most powerful conglomerate in the City of London, warning them of the destruction of an African country. Now the time has come to act. Together, Armstrong and Kinnear forge a passionate alliance – and begin the fight against the forces of greed, evil and corruption attacking a land they would both give their lives to save . . .Hungry as the Sea: Nick Berg - robbed of his wife and ousted from his huge shipping empire - is hell-bent on vengeance. It is the sea which gives him his opportunity. When his arch-rival's luxury liner is trapped in the tempestuous Antarctic, Nick stakes all to pit his powerful salvage tug, the Warlock, in a desperate race against time and the elements . . .Wild Justice: The hijacking of a jumbo jet off the Seychelles galvanizes anti-terrorist chief Peter Stride into the action for which he has spent a lifetime training. But in the hail of bullets which follows, he knows that this is only the beginning of a nightmare. Stride is the one man who might find the twisted genius who holds the world hostage – if only his every move were not anticipated by the enemy . . .

Acid Alex


Al Lovejoy - 2005
    It veers between abject mistreatment, religious hysteria and narcotic intoxication, while journeying deep into the violent underworld of Cape Town gangs and international organized crime, then behind the cold bars of prison and out the other side. Much more than the story of an alternate and differently lived life, every person who wants to fully grasp the complexities and richness of South Africa's social architecture should read this book. Hailed as a great book of reference, not only invaluable for checking facts and culture, but also for feeling the pureness of South Africa's socio-emotional pulse. A unique story told in a unique voice. Acid Alex will shock you, assault, educate and entertain you, and take you on a trip beyond your wildest imagining. A compelling, totally gripping page-turner and a story that reaches deep into ... and, touches the soul."

She's the One


Sandra Kitt - 2001
    After receiving guardianship of Stacy, the biracial daughter of an old friend, Deanna comes to terms with her own goals and identity as an African-American woman as she and Patterson Temple join forces to protect the frightened child.

Scatterling of Africa: My Early Years


Johnny Clegg - 2021
    Suspended for a few seconds, they float in their own space and time with their own hidden prospects. For want of a better term, we call these moments “magical” and when we remember them they are cloaked in a halo of special meaning.’For 14-year-old Johnny Clegg, hearing Zulu street music as plucked on the strings of a guitar by Charlie Mzila one evening outside a corner café in Bellevue, Johannesburg, was one such ‘magical’ moment. The success story of Juluka and later Savuka, and the cross-cultural celebration of music, language, story, dance and song that stirred the hearts of millions across the world, is well documented. Their music was the soundtrack to many South Africans’ lives during the turbulent 70s and 80s as the country moved from legislated oppression to democratic freedom. It crossed borders, boundaries and generations, resonating around the world and back again. Less known is the story of how it all began and developed. Scatterling of Africa is that origin story, as Johnny Clegg wrote it and wanted it told. It is the story of how the son of an unconventional mother, grandson of Jewish immigrants, came to realise that identity can be a choice, and home is a place you leave and return to as surely as the seasons change.

The Promises We Made


Rohan Jain - 2020