Among the numerous plaudits bestowed on this pioneer novel is that of Es'kia Mphahlele in 1960, when he found the issues Schreiner raised in it 'too generous to fit into the South African pattern of values', while Doris Lessing in her 1968 afterword considered it to be 'one of those few rare books, on a frontier of the human mind'. As Dan Jacobson remarked in his 1971 introduction: 'Nothing can take from her the honour of being the first to make usable the country and the people within it as a subject for fiction.'
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Among the numerous plaudits bestowed on this pioneer novel is that of Es'kia Mphahlele in 1960, when he found the issues Schreiner raised in it 'too generous to fit into the South African pattern of values', while Doris Lessing in her 1968 afterword considered it to be 'one of those few rare books, on a frontier of the human mind'. As Dan Jacobson remarked in his 1971 introduction: 'Nothing can take from her the honour of being the first to make usable the country and the people within it as a subject for fiction.'
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Very insightful story and plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters are memorable and the storyline just continues to thicken and grow more intriguing as you read.
The story begins with the main characters as children. Waldo, Lyndall and Em were perfect comrades for each other as they grew up together on an African farm. After becoming adults they tend to go their separate ways, but they always come back home.
Dramatic book you will not readily forget. I would recommend for High School literature and for adults.