''Flowers in the Sand'' (2011), the second
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
by
South African author Clive Algar,
has been described by literary critics as "completely engrossing and superbly written" and "a great adventure story".
Writing in Independent Online, critic Lloyd Mackenzie says: "By blending the richness of his own
fictional characters with one of South Africa’s most historic events, he has created an enticing
journey of a woman trying to survive against all odds … it is completely engrossing and superbly
written. I am definitely going to look out for more of this author’s work.".
Novelist and critic Jeanette Ferreira, writing in ''
Beeld'', says: "The
Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902)
remains a popular source for fiction. And, as with all historical novels, the challenge is to write
about people’s destinies without yielding to the temptation to force all that hard-won research
material into the text or to write a military report. Clive Algar undoubtedly understands this art.
"Although all his historical figures become people of flesh and blood – especially Jan Smuts – his
book is mainly the story of Emma Richardson … who, during the siege of
O'okiep
Okiep is a small town in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, and was in the 1870s ranked as having the richest copper mine in the world. The town is on the site of a spring that was known in the Khoekhoe language of the Nama people as ''U ...
, must struggle with
moral dilemmas about which she has never even had to think before, let alone handle successfully.
"... Emma is not destined to bloom or wither in this
sandveld forever. But if I said where her path
leads I would be giving away a thrilling story."
Writing in
''The Citizen'', Dries Brunt says: "The siege of O’okiep, a mining town in
Namaqualand,
the people living there under the threat of a
Boer conquest, a dangerous mission to seek relief, a
woman’s courage and a final outcome that is honourable, make this a great adventure story."
Plot introduction
Trapped by tragic circumstances in a dusty
Namaqualand mining town during the
Anglo-Boer War,
Emma Richardson must degrade herself in order to survive. Then the town is besieged by
Boer
fighters, led by their tortured commandant Manie Smit, and Emma is faced with a fateful choice.
With her vision of the ephemeral desert flowers in her mind, she sets out alone on foot by night on a
desperate mission to create a new future for herself.
External links
Independent Online''Beeld''''The Citizen''Clive Algar's official website
2011 novels
Historical novels
21st-century South African novels
Novels set in South Africa
Namaqualand
Fiction set in 1902
Second Boer War books
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