Winner of the "CNA Literary Debut Award". Marnus is terrified he will not fulfil the expectations of his elite Afrikaner family who are certain of their superiority. But when Mr Smith arrives, things start to change, affecting Marnus's values and everything around him that he he holds dear.
First novel set in South Africa in 1973. Eleven year old Marnus was proud of coming from an elite Afrikaner family, his father a Major General. However after a house guest spends the summer with the family, his outlook on life changes dramatically. Translated from Afrikaans.
Compelling... the disturbing and powerful story of a child's introduction to hypocrisy and disillusion.