Rooikraal Revisited: Farming During Apartheid [Paperback]

Dylan Weston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 24, 2000

Rooikraal Revisited: Farming During Apartheid is an autobiographical and nostalgic study of a life left behind. Dylan Weston lived on a dairy farm, Rooikraal, during the Apartheid regime and this collection documents the people, places, interests, and recollections of life in rural South Africa. The bitterness of Apartheid, its inhumanity, is shownbut the good will of the common folk who shared their lives on these "islands of civilization" known as farms is also appreciated and enjoyed. Some of the stories tell of the political impact on the lives of common people, while others tell of human suffering and superstition. Several of the stories describe adventures with animalsfarm animals generally, but also the great serpent the Rinkhals. The stories are all true and the experiences real. This is a period of South African life under white domination which has been swept away, and yet on seeing the destruction not of a political system but a thriving communityRooikraalgreat nostalgia fills the author. The people she knew and loved are gone. There are few traces of their lives and of their sense of community left on Rooikraal. The lesson of life, which she learns, is that one can never return to the land of yore; it lives only in the heart and memorywhere in the retelling it seems to gain a sense of reality.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Humphrey Muller, once a professor of English in South Africa during the Apartheid years, moved to Scotland to devote more time to creative writing. He has since written a number of novels (A Twist in Time, the Cage and the Cross, Wheel of Fortune, Continental Drift), and with his wife Carolyn has co-authored two novels (Rapture at Sea and Spirit of Ecstasy by 'Carolyn Charles').

Product Details

• Paperback: 116 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (March 24, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595091806
• ISBN-13: 978-0595091805
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,481,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Move over, Isak Dinesen, April 20, 2000

By 

J.R. Linik (West Richland, Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rooikraal Revisited: Farming During Apartheid (Paperback)

Rooikraal Revisited is a poignant account of the author's life on a farm in Africa during Apartheid. Always vivid, often touching, and sometimes disturbing, Weston's stories introduce us to the colorful characters - both black and white - who were part of her experience, detail events in that unique time and culture, and share some valuable insights regarding racism, humanity, and the passage of time. Particularly haunting is the story entitled "Elizabeth's Potato; " I read this some time ago and still can't get it out of my head. The only criticism I have about the collection is that I wanted some of the stories to be longer; I wanted to know more.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read!, September 4, 2003

By 

Maria E. Emami (Northern California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rooikraal Revisited: Farming During Apartheid (Paperback)

I loved it! I wish Dylan would write a nice long book, she is very entertaining and is a pleasure to read!