John Maytham's Book Review: The San, enchanted fantasy and essays about people

7 September 2018 4:54 PM

Take a read and a listen to John Maytham's book reviews for the week:

Homeland by Karin Brynard

The third book in a series translated from Afrikaans featuring Captain Albertus Beeslaar. He is just getting ready to leave the police force in Upington and move to Johannesburg to a 9 - 5 security job where the mother of his infant son lives, when his general says 'just one more case.'

A San leader has possibly been murdered though the police officer in the area says he died from natural causes having fallen down drunk and hitting his head.

He finally agrees to go and investigate and its all far more complicated than he had imagined. Brynard handles the multiple narrative threads magnificently well, says John.

The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

A debut historical fantasy novel features Mrs Hancock who marries Mr Hancock to get out of her life as a courtesan prostitute in Georgian England. John says it is filled with a glorious fantasy language. It's just captivating and enchanting, says John.

Figures in a Landscape by Paul Theroux

This is Theroux's third volume of essays, some of which are semi-autobiographical. When he writes about, for example, going into the rainforest of Equador, it is marvelously observed, says John.

Listen to John's reviews below:

This article first appeared on CapeTalk : John Maytham's Book Review: The San, enchanted fantasy and essays about people

Written by: Barbara Friedman