Book Bites
When I saw that Richard Steyn, journalistturned-historian, had written a biography of arch-imperialist Sir Alfred Milner, I wondered, “What was he thinking?” Steyn previously penned hailed biographies on Jan Smuts and Louis Botha, as well as an account of the friendship between Smuts and Winston Churchill. These men were thought of once as revered figures. Milner, on the other hand, was not. He was dispatched here to bring the Boers in line, was a primary instigator of the ruinous Anglo-Boer War, and to this day is understandably loathed by the Afrikaners. He was not much liked by anyone else either, including his empire-building peers. But Steyn explains: “This book is neither to vilify nor justify Milner but rather to explain what motivated this enigmatic and driven individual whose actions so influenced the lives of every South African.” Which, after all, is the nub of what history is about: learning from the unspeakable and unforgivable.
William Saunderson-Meyer @TheJaundicedEye
An unexpected gift sweeps across the globe; others call it a plague. They are boxes, one per person, that read: “The measure of your life lies within.” Inside is a string that foretells how long you will live. Others find it a relief; some don’t look, while the shortstringers find themselves being cast aside. Would you look in your box? How would you live your life if you knew you only had 10 years? Erlick raises profound questions in an easy-to-read and entertaining story full of complex yet enjoyable characters.
Tiah Beautement @ms_tiahmarie
Teenage brothers have three rules set by their parents: Let us know where you are; stay with your friends;don’t miss the curfew. When Zac doesnt come home after a party, older brother Rob calls his uncle Andy in a panic. Andy is relieved his son, Connor, is home. He had seen his sleeping form in the early hours. Andy joins Rob at Beacon Hill Woods to see if they can find a clue. They find Zac’s keys. Andy returns home to question Connor, who is rushing out, his hoodie drawn over his face. He stops him and, as the boy turns, he sees it’s Zac. Connor’s bed is empty. A friend calls Andy to tell him her daughter Emily has also not come home. Then Connor is arrested for loitering. At the police station, they find him bruised and sullen. Meanwhile, the search for Emily is heating up. It emerges that Emily, her friend Olivia, Zac, Connor and a boy named Drew, had left a party to go to Beacon Hill Woods. Five of them went to the woods, but only four returned. ‘The Curfew’ is easy to read but hard to put down. Entertaining and full of twists and turns.