Kopwond: Vergete Slagoffers van die Bosoorlog – Anthony Feinstein

Genre: Non-fiction / South African War History

Taking place in South-West Africa, now Namibia, while fighting the SWAPO and the Communists, we read about the authors experience and a medical specialist on the war front.  First as a Psychiatrist in Oshakati, where he treats everyone from the camp commander’s wife, to a young soldier that appears to be suffering from shell shock.  Then as the GP in Tsandi, where he treats just about every imaginable ailment.

This book is well written and rather graphic.  It is an enthralling read, bringing the horror of war within reach of those who never have, and hopefully never will experience it first-hand.

The Foundling – Agnes Desarthe

Genre: Fiction

Translated from French, the story follows the life of Jerome, a divorced father whose daughter is suffering the loss of her boyfriend, who was killed in a motorcycle accident.  While trying to help her cope, Jerome must also face his own childhood ghosts, that of being a foundling, and the mystery thereof.  He befriends a retired policeman and together they gather more information on his adoptive parents and investigate his daughter’s dead boyfriend.

Although the ending was a bit placid [for lack of a better word] the story line was strong throughout the novel.  The mystery and suspense, as well as the relationships between the various characters keeps you curious and entertained and needing to read more.  Regarding the ending, I can’t help but wonder if anything was lost in the process of translation.  Something small and subtle like the emphasis or nuance on certain words, which may have played an important role in making the ending seem more alive.  All in all I rather enjoyed this book and hope to find more of Desarthe’s works translated to English.  I would happily recommend this book to any one wanting to read something different.

Groomed – Laurie Matthew

This book is not for sensitive readers!

Genre: Biography

“An uncle who went too far, a mother who didn’t care” – This is the ‘catch line’ on the front of the book…

Sweet cheese on toast!  The horror in this book…  Little Laurie’s mother hates her and abuses her.  But her Uncle Andrew loves her.  He’s showed her that.  But it’s not love.  He sees a vulnerable child that he can manipulate and groom, and he does, and not just for himself but for an entire cult of ritualistic child abusers.  And she’s not the only one.

The horrors of Laurie’s childhood are forever trapped in this book.  It was a captivating read but the ending was blunt, although captivating isn’t really the right word, more like gripping.  The horror grips you and doesn’t let you go right until the very end.  Seeing life through Laurie’s eyes is enough to make your stomach turn.  I couldn’t even cry for her, I was too shocked.

I think Laurie should be congratulated.  It must have taken a lot of bravery to be willing to share her story.  Her ordeal.  She must have scratched open so many of her old wounds and felt the pain so she could tell the world what happened.  To confront her abuser for what he did and her mother for what she didn’t.